The Son of a Genius
by AreWeInTheClearYetGOOD
Summary: "The man next to the woman had dark curly hair and mesmerizing dark eyes that held intelligence that could easily pull Paige in. She recognized the man easily enough and his face had haunted her dreams for nearly the past ten years. He was Walter, the father of her son. "
1. The Prologue of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **The Prologue of a Genius**

 _The beat of your heart_

 _It jumps through your shirt_

 _I can still feel your arms_

 _-Last Kiss, Taylor Swift_

 **New York City, 2004**

Flashes of bare skin, the yelling and slamming of doors swept through her mind. Her voice was hoarse from screaming and all she wanted was to close her eyes and cry. It was a reasonable thought after all she went through that night, yet she knew that it was nearly impossible for her to be able to go through with what she wanted to do. But, there was nowhere for her to go.

Her parents had just went out of town and her damned soon to be ex-husband was cheating on her. Could her life get any worse? Probably. She had been planning to surprise him by getting off work early and she got home to her husband cheating on her. It wasn't the surprise she had been planning, but it was a surprise nonetheless.

Paige Dineen sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair. She ran a hand down the form fitting skirt she was wearing and cursed under her breath. Naturally, she had decided to go to a bar, and maybe drown her sorrows and lose herself in a guy. At the time it seemed like the best choice of what to do. It had been awhile since she had been able to do that. But now she felt that it was worth it, if he did that then so could she. Paige took a deep breath and ran a hand over her eyes, hoping that no one could tell that she had been crying.

Her heels were muffled by the light carpeting in the bar. the bar wasn't one of the swanky ones in uptown New York, this was just a simple bar she had found when she was out with a couple friends.. She was wearing the clothes that she had worn to her work that morning as an assistant for a publishing company, which was a black pencil skirt and a white blouse. It was a tireless job, but as long as it paid the bills she was fine with it.

She took a seat at one of the bar seats. The bartender was busy with a group down the bar. It consisted of a few men and a couple women, they all wore suits or skirts and seemed to have been dressed to impress or something along the lines. What caught her eye was one of the men was standing nearby, obviously drinking water as his friends were working at getting drunk. The man seemed bored and watched the people around him with disinterest. He had dark curly hair and his suit fit him quite well. Brown eyes met each other and for a minute their eyes were tied together until one of his friends slapped his back and the spell was broken.

Paige tried to ignore the temptation to steal another glance at the man, but she could still feel his eyes on her.

"What'll it be?" asked the bartender gruffly. She looked up at the scruffy looking bartender and sighed.

"Whiskey, please." said Paige, she put her elbows on the bar and waited for her long awaited drink. Paige didn't drink and when she did it usually meant that something serious had happened. She had craved a drink ever since she saw the form of her husband over her now former best friend.

Her husband had pleaded with her not to leave while he got dressed. It didn't help his case and she still left no matter what he said. Her phone had been ringing off of the hook from her best friend and Paige hadn't answered once. She eventually had to turn her phone off to stop the insistent ringing. She refused to listen to their half assed excuses and didn't have any plans to listen to one of the many voicemails they had left.

The sound of footsteps approaching, took Paige from her self pity. She looked up to see the man that had dark hair and brown eyes, he caught her attention and to her it was entirely possible that he could be her one night stand victim. He was handsome, that was obvious. His eyes glittered with intelligence and it intrigued her. He held himself like he knew everything about everyone in the bar and that caused Paige to be curious about the man that was now standing in front of her.

"Hello," he said nervously. Paige glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Hi,"

"I'm Walter," said Walter offering his hand to shake. Paige shook his hand, he had a firm grip and there was something about the way that he hand fit into his. A tingle of electricity shot up her arm at the contact and tried to ignore the spark that seemed to have ignited all of her senses to the man in front of her.

"Paige." she said simply. He nodded at her and sat down beside her.

.

.

Sun shone straight through the window and into Paige's eyes, she awoke blinking forcefully with a splitting headache and the feel of warmth surrounding her. At the moment she wasn't sure where she was or how she got there. A surge of fear hit her chest and she forced herself not to shoot up on what ever she was laying on.

It looked like she was in a hotel room that had been trashed. Clothes were strewn over the room, for a moment she feared that she had cheated on her husband until she remembered the events that took place to cause her to show up at a bar. Anger filled her mind and she ignored the urge to find the closest thing and smash it.

Paige sighed lightly and then took in the fact that an arm was slung around her waist and the feel of warm breath against the back of her neck. It was oddly comforting, she felt safe and whenever she had been with Drew she had just felt content and nothing more.

The warm puffs of air against her neck was slow, it was obvious that the man behind her was sleeping. She didn't want to face whoever it was just yet. Her own breath slowed as she let herself slump against the bed and man behind her.

As she rested her head against the pillow, the previous night came back to her in a flash.

The liquor burning down her throat and the easy conversation with the man, whose name was Walter. The delightful pressure of his lips against hers as they had stumbled up towards his hotel room. Their clothes being thrown around the room in their haste to get rid of them, landing on the television, the lamp or on the floor, at least those were the places that Paige had seen them go. The feel of his lips against her bare skin and their tangled limbs.

Paige could feel her cheeks getting warm at just thinking about it. Walter's leg shifted in his sleep and moved in between her calves as his grip tightened against her. His breaths grew harsher and a few moments later when she was sure that he wasn't waking up she concluded that the man was having a nightmare.

What was he having nightmares about? What happened to him that would cause this? She wanted to make him feel better, seeing anyone in pain was a weakness of hers, she wanted to help him somehow.

Slowly, Paige slid her arm along the one on her waist and she felt his breaths even out slightly. She intertwined her fingers loosely with his. His breathing slowed and she untensed and blinked sleepily. Paige could feel herself ready to fall away into the world of sleep, but his breath coming quicker with sure signs of him fully becoming awake this time.

Paige closed her eyes and feigned sleep as she felt his body move around hers slowly shifting into awakeness. She let her body fall slack against the mattress and Walter's body. He tensed immediately and Paige just hoped that he didn't think bad of her.

His arms and legs shifted as he drew in a large breath, a foul curse left his mouth and his breath exhaled against her bare skin. She could feel his body stiffen as he slowly moved his leg from where it was mixed with hers. His hand disentangled with where she had put her hand minutes before, she hated the loss of heat and for whatever reason the loss of him.

The bed creaked as he tried to get up. Paige remained still, as she faked sleep, she felt like a secret agent when it was mandatory that they remain still.

He paused to see if the sound had caused her to wake, when he seemed satisfied that she was still asleep he stood. She could hear the soft footsteps of Walter walking around the room, grabbing certain items and the bathroom door shutting.

Her eyes popped open like a squirrel hyped up on sugar. Her eyes shift from side to side and when she hears the shower starting, Paige shifted and pull the covers back. She felt slightly cold without him by her side, her mind argued that she had been used to sleeping next to Drew and any body next to hers would suffice.

The cold air caused goosebumps to rise on her bare skin. She pushes the sheet back carefully and quietly stood. Cold air rushed over her skin and she shivered, Paige searched the room and pulled on her stray clothes.

The shower turned off just as she finished tugging on her pencil skirt and shirt. Paige stole a panicked glance towards the bathroom door and quickly rushed towards the hotel door. She yanked open the door and stepped out. She shut the hotel door and heaved a sigh of relief. She could hear the telltale signs of the bathroom door opening, and before she could spare another glance Paige sped out of the hotel and away from the man she had just spent the night with.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys want to happen. Please favorite, follow and review.**

 **Disclaimer: Dude, I wish I owned Scorpion. I have a sister though, I'll trade her to own Scorpion.**


	2. Chapter 1 The Beginning of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Genius**

 _This is me swallowing my pride_

 _standing in front of you_

 _-Back to December, Taylor Swift_

 **Two Months Later**

Paige sat against the tiles of the bathroom floor at her parent's house with her hand against her forehead. Sweat was beaded at her forehead over the exertation of her stomach rejecting the food she had eaten that morning.

The sound of heels clicked against the hard wood floors of the hallway just outside the bathroom. Paige attempted to muster up the energy to try and think about who it would be that would come to see her.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" came the voice of Paige's mother. Paige closed her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again after composing herself slightly.

"I'm fine." said Paige as she gathered her feet to her chest.

"I know that tone. You are not fine." said Mrs. Dineen. Paige sighed, her mother knew her far too well.

Paige sighed as the bathroom door was opened. Before her stood her mother, Jamie Dineen, she was a small woman with dyed blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she had a fit figure and stared down at her daughter with concern dotting her tone. Her mother looked like the all American housewife and often acted like one. She was incredibly protective of her children and seemed to support them no matter what.

The bathroom door opened and in walked Jamie Dineen. She looked down at Paige with pity. Paige wiped her mouth on her sleeve and sighed.

"Darling," cooed Jamie, as she bent down and ran a hand through Paige's hair. The action was soothing, except Paige knew that she had to keep moving; she couldn't just sit and pity herself.

"I'm fine," said Paige quickly. She forced herself to stand on shaky feet, the world seemed to spin around her for a moment and dark spots swam in front of her vision.

"Come on, Dear." said Jamie as she grasped her daughter's arm. Mrs. Dineen led a dizzy Paige towards her bedroom. The only solid thing was the floor and everything else was spinning for a moment.

Ever since she had left Drew and had been working to get their divorce sooner than later. He had been surprisingly cooperative and she had expected him to try and fight for her, but he seemed perfectly content with her former best friend. Since then the man, Walter that she had a one night stand with had been dancing in her mind. The thought of his smile or his body against hers in the dead of night. He had been in her mind ever since that night no matter how drunk she might have been.

It was confusing to her why the man she had been married to and had known most of her life she had been more willing to give up and how he felt the same way for her. Whereas with Walter she had known him for a few hours and he seemed to be on her mind far more often than she would have rather admitted.

"It's odd, I was just like this when I was pregnant with your brother." trilled Mrs. Dineen and Paige's blood ran cold at the thought.

It was possible she could be pregnant, no form of birth control was sure. Her and Drew hadn't been intimate in the past couple months before their split and the fact that a one night stand could have gotten her pregnant surprised her. Sure, she had heard of these type of things happening, she just never thought it would be her. She had thought that it would instead be one of those girls that often went out and not someone like her, who had been with Drew for so long that at that time she wasn't sure if she could successfully date another person.

Paige let out a harsh breath and her mother turned towards her surprised. In the first couple weeks after her parents had come back from their vacation she had a few breakdowns and during one of them she had cried explaining that her and Drew hadn't been close in months. And that he had been pulling away and that it was probably her fault. Naturally, her mother had kept telling her that in no way was it her fault, it was the cheating bastard's fault.

Jaime turned to her daughter questioningly,and stared into Paige's brown eyes. Paige sighed and half heartedly ran a hand through her hair.

"It was a mistake, I-I was so mad," said Paige before dropping her arm.

Her mother just nodded instead of scolding her for acting out. Paige sighed in relief that her mother just silently led her to her bedroom and said nothing else.

"I'll buy you a test or twenty," said Paige's mother as she helped Paige into her childhood bed. Jaime bent down and kissed her daughter's forehead.

It could've been hours or minutes later when there was a light knock on her door. Paige raised her head and looked toward the door tiredly. Her mind had been spinning in circle at the thought of having a child. The thought of a child with her amber eyes and dark curly hair with his tan hue filled her mind.

Paige mumbled "Come in,"

Her door opened and her mother walked in with a bag from the pharmacy. Paige wearily sat up and took the bag from her mother before walking into the bathroom.

.

.

Paige sat still in the bar stool, it was two months to the day that the baby inside of her was conceived. She sighed and blinked tiredly, she hadn't been getting much sleep. She had been spending her nights convincing herself that being able to raise the child without their father would be the best course of action. There were black smudges under her eyes that she had tried to cover with makeup but hadn't helped at all.

She took a determined sigh like when winter thaws into spring.

Paige hoped that he just might show up again. Her mother had insisted that she tell the baby's father that she was pregnant and that a man deserved to know that he would have a child. And that was the only reason she was there tonight.

Paige had mostly wanted to hide away at her house with her mother and father and not worry about the child that was to be born in about seven months.

She nervously played with a lock of her hair and twirled it around her finger. She ordered a water when the bartender walked over. He gave her a once over before walking away.

The bar had a couple drunks along with some frat boys that seemed to think that they were better than every other person. She closed her eyes for a moment and dark curly hair with deep brown eyes came to the forefront of her mind.

Paige shook her head like a dog with fleas and sat in silence. The bell above the door jingled and Paige looked over at the door. Her heart sped up when she recognized Walter with a new group this time. One man was wearing a fedora and his eyes seemed to scan every person in the bar, another was a woman that had dark hair and a hostile air surrounded her and last was a teenage boy that kept pushing his glasses up his nose and was jittering around nervously.

She rubbed her hands against her arms as the group of four seem to settle in at a booth and talk amongst themselves. Paige wasn't sure how she would tell him, she didn't know if she could go up to him. She certainly wouldn't say that in front of his friends, she could just hope that he would eventually walk up to her.

Paige sipped at her water and tapped her foot lightly against the floor. She stole another glance at the group Walter was with and found her eyes meeting the man with a fedora. He seemed to be trying to look through her very soul. Paige tore her eyes away and found herself content to analyze Walter's features in the light of being sober and the prospect that she was going to have his, no their baby.

His features seemed to be a little sharper, his hair was a bit curlier and she liked it. His eyes seemed far too old for how young he was, they also seemed to hold an unending depth like she could fall and never want to leave. It reminded her of how that morning he had been having a nightmare. Tears pricked her eyes and she cursed her hormonal state that caused her to feel like this.

She twirled the straw in her water and sucked in a deep breath, Paige needed to stay determined to tell him. The urge to just walk out the bar door and never come back was strong, but she remembered the determination in her mother's face and concern on her father's, spurred her to remain in her seat.

There was the possibility that he wouldn't talk to her. All they were was a one night stand, he most likely wouldn't be fond of going up to her and starting a conversation. It didn't help that the bits that she remembered of their conversations was that he wasn't the best at starting or even speaking as most people would. But there was something different about him compared to any other man she had known.

It was slowly getting dark outside and Paige knew that she had to find someway to talk to him. She couldn't just go home and be satisfied with saying nothing. Even if it was just through a note or something equally small. She stole another glance at the four and saw that they all had piles of paperwork on the table and they all seemed to be an important part of it.

It impressed her of whatever they were doing. It seemed like something that mattered strongly to them and it interested Paige for some reason. She didn't see herself as someone that would work in important settings or that would do work that would matter to other people. Paige saw herself as someone who might be an accountant or something equally as boring.

She sighed and saw that Walter was standing up and made his way out of the booth. It was time. She had to talk to him. Paige couldn't miss this opportunity. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gathered her courage. It had to be now or she would most likely not have another chance to tell him.

Walter walked up to the bar beside her and she had no idea whether he had even noticed that she was there.

"Walter," said Paige just loud enough for him to hear her, her voice was shaky to her own ears. Paige cursed herself, she didn't need to sound weak.

"Uh, Paige." said Walter, he seemed to have not even seen her sitting there. Paige could feel her anger building up. The rational side of her brain argued that it had been two months and it was a miracle that he had remembered her name.

"Um, Walter, I-I I'm pregnant." shock enveloped his face and she didn't want to risk hearing any harsh words so she decided to go on. "I'm going to do it on my own, You don't need to do anything."

Paige sniffed and saw his mouth fall open in surprise at all she said. He didn't say anything and sadness pooled in her chest. He wasn't going to do anything. He wasn't going to say anything. She would be on her own.

Paige sighed and walked out of the bar and into the cold night.

 **A/N: Thank you for all the positive responses. You guys are all so sweet! I am currently working on the seventh chapter and it's coming along slowly. To get the next chapter, I'll either post it in one month or when we get another twenty reviews (34 total). Please follow, favorite and review!**

 **Disclaimer: So no one has come to trade my sister for Scorpion yet, so I guess I still don't own Scorpion.**


	3. Chapter 2 The Birth of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 2: The Birth of a Genius**

 _I bet this time of night you're still up._

 _I bet you're tired from a long hard week._

 _I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city._

 _And I bet sometimes you wonder about me._

 _-I Almost Do, Taylor Swift_

Pain ripped through her like a knife slicing through her abdomen. A pained cry escaped her lips and she clutched at her stomach. Her hand went to the wall to support her weight as the pain soon left.

Paige breathed heavily and tried to think logically. She needed to get someone, she couldn't get to the hospital on her own. Who was home? Her father was in the living room while her mother was out to buy groceries.

"Dad!" yelled Paige breathlessly as she doubled over in pain. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Footsteps were pounding against the wood floors and to where Paige's hand was against the wall. She looked up to see the face of Mark Dineen.

Paige's father had dark brown hair that was thinning and bright amber eyes that were the same as his daughter's. He worked in a publishing company and made just enough to keep his family afloat, but the family was fine with Paige's mother's job. He was a man that enjoyed doing the manly jobs and Paige often gave him a run for his money on those jobs.

But, at that moment his amber eyes were filled with concern for his only daughter. She let out a ragged breath as he went to help her. His hand gripped her arm lightly and she looked up to meet his eyes. Paige nodded at him as if to confirm his thoughts.

"Call the hospital, get the hospital bag and call Mom and Andrew." said Paige in a rush. Her father nodded and started rushing around the house for what she told him. Paige leaned against the wall as she watched her father gather all that was necessary.

Andrew Dineen was Paige's older brother that had started coming around more when he learned that his younger sister was a pregnant. He had bright blue eyes and black hair that hung low over his eyes. He had been away at college and had decided to come back to help out the family. And Paige would be forever thankful for her older brother's help.

.

.

A newborn baby's cry was the only thing Paige Dineen heard, she didn't hear the Doctors congratulating her or her mother saying how precious the baby was. All she heard was the cry of her baby, proof of what had been inside of her for nine months. Proof of what she had been working so hard for. And it all was worth it once she was able to hold her son in her arms. It was worth the months of pain, humiliation and worry to be holding the little boy in her arms.

Her mind didn't register the challenges ahead. She didn't think of the troubles that would plague her as a single mother. She just thought of the positives of having her baby in her arms damn the consequences.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she gazed down at the baby that was being put into her arms. It was a darling little boy. She loved the child so much already and didn't know that she could love another human being as much as she loved her son in that moment.

.

.

 **In Los Angeles**

Walter O'Brien sat at his desk in contemplation, his hands were holding up his head as he stared blankly at his computer screen. It was completely illogical that he was sitting there and thinking about what he was. He should be worried about solving harder problems and not about a woman that was most likely thousands of miles away. It wasn't right. Yet, he hated that a part of him was acting all sentimental about it all.

He was acting sentimental about the fact that there was a high chance that he had a child.

It could have been today for all. It could have been the day that he had a child somewhere. He wasn't sure. For all he knew was that she had miscarried the baby, he wouldn't know. He didn't have time to speak. And if he had time he wouldn't have known what to say in that type of situation

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the garage he had bought for himself and his friends to work in. There was still a lot of work as cables hung from the ceiling and there was holes in the walls, but he liked it all the same.

It had been bothering Walter that he had been so preoccupied at the thought of having a child. It was just another emotional thing that he didn't understand. He had mentioned it to his sister to get an idea on what it meant, and she told him to try as hard as he could to find her and his child.

Thus, he had taken to hacking into New York hospitals to search the patients and see if a woman named Paige had been admitted.

It didn't help that he wasn't aware of her last name, he knew what she looked like and doubted that he would ever forget.

Walter glanced around the Garage to see that his colleague Toby, a Harvard trained behaviorist, who had found a joy in trying to annoy Walter by getting in his personal space. It annoyed Walter to no end.

Another genius that worked with him was a woman named Happy, who seemed to distance herself from all of them and Walter felt the same way. Toby seemed to enjoy annoying her almost just as much. She specialized in mechanics and that skill was highly useful.

The last genius in their group was a boy in his late teens named Sylvester. He had a proficiency for math and could easily calculate high numbers. It amazed Walter by the boy's abilities.

Walter had been talking to a fourth genius whose I.Q. was close in number to his own which was highly surprising.

He sighed and started tapping on his computer. He decided that he would first check the New York Presbyterian Hospital, he easily hacked into their controls and looked into those that were admitted for births day, his eyes scanned the names and saw no woman named Paige. He sighed. Walter was about to go onto another hospital when it looked like there was another admittance.

He reloaded it and saw the new patient that had been admitted moments previous. He saw the patient was one Paige Dineen. He felt an odd pang in his chest at the thought that it was possible that his child was born. He hacked more on her file and as he expected all that was easily available was that she had given birth to a little boy.

Walter sighed and leaned back in his chair. It was possible that he had just became a father.

.

.

Paige cradled her newborn son in her arms as her father and brother were asleep in chairs near the hospital bed. Her mother was awake and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed looking at her grandson. Paige was mesmerized by the sight of her son and could hardly contain herself.

Light filtered in through the window, while Paige ran her fingers through the dark tufts of hair on her son's head. She smiled and stared down at her young son, her eyes scanned over every inch of his body. She was already head over heels for him and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"What are you going to name him?" asked Jaime, as she stared at her grandson. Paige glanced at her mother for a moment.

"I was thinking Ralph," started Paige before she was suddenly enveloped in a side hug from her mother. Ralph was the name of Paige's grandfather on her mother's side, and Paige had worshipped him when she was younger and decided that it was the perfect name for her son. Her mother had also loved her father dearly and when he passed they both had leaned on each other to get through his death.

"What about his middle name?" asked her mother, Paige looked at her suspiciously, her mother was avoiding her gaze. Either there was something that she did or she had a suggestion of what she thinks Ralph's middle name should be. Paige sighed and closed her eyes for a moment trying to gather her strength and to stay awake for the rest of this conversation. She had been awake for nearly twenty four hours because she hadn't felt tired and it just hit her.

"Mom?" questioned Paige. Her mother looked up and stared Paige in the eye for a moment before sighing.

"I think Ralph's middle name should be his father's."

Paige was in shock. She had expected her mother to advise her to give Ralph a middle name from a relative that had scorned her in the past seven months. Many of her relatives had expected a husband at the news of her being pregnant and no father by her side had sent most of them into shock. She had just shook it off and focused on making sure that her son would have the best life that he could without the relatives that was against her having him.

"Why?" asked Paige in a whisper. She wasn't angry about it, a part of her appealed to it and another part wondered why it would be a good idea to name her son after a man he would most likely never know. Paige didn't know why she wasn't angry. A part of her wanted to be. This man didn't react when she told him she was pregnant and let her walk away. Yet, there was something about him that still attracted her to him and it bugged the hell out of her.

What would be the good in naming her son after his father? It would only remind him of a man that he might never meet. Except, Paige had to remind herself that there was still a chance that he might still meet him. For all she knew Walter was some sort of genius that would be apart of their future.

"Ralph will start asking about his father and it's a way to remember him, for Ralph." Her mother released a deep breath and stared at Paige with questioning eyes.

The thought of naming her son partially after his father interested her. In a way it made sense to name Ralph after his father. Paige sighed and ran a hand through her already messy hair.

In that moment Paige knew that she would do it. She would do anything for her son and it was a new feeling to her. There hadn't been one person in her life that she knew that without a doubt that she would give her life for. Ever since she had laid eyes on her son love had filled her every pore for the small body in her arms. There was nothing that she wouldn't do for her son. In that moment she knew that she would give her life for her son and it scared her slightly that she had fallen so recklessly in love with her son.

"Ok," said Paige softly. Her mother smiled at her and Paige knew that she had made the right decision.

"Ralph Walter Dineen." murmured Paige under her breath.

 **A/N: Yay! I got this up. It was taking me forever to edit this. And I didn't nearly expect you guys to get anywhere close to my goal. Thank you guys so much! Let me know what you guys want to happen and I can maybe put it in. Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: Still waiting for that person to come and trade my sister... Yeah, so I don't own Scorpion... yet.**


	4. Chapter 3 The Child of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 3: The Childhood of a Genius**

 _I need a little faith_

 _Is that too much to ask for?_

 _I need to feel my soul come alive_

 _I need to feel the strength to get by_

 _-Faith, Calvin Harris_

Paige rocked her son in her arms as his cries turned to small sniffles. She heaved a sigh as the baby quieted. It was rare that Ralph was fussy and it had surprised her when he broke into a crying fit only a few minutes after she had fallen asleep.

Carefully, she set Ralph in his crib like one would do with expensive china. She froze for a moment and listened when she heard nothing coming from the crib, she started to walk away. Her eyes drooped and her shoulders slumped as her mind welcomed the thought of sleep. Sleep was a wonderful dream that had become awfully foreign to her lately.

Paige ran a hand through her tousled hair, how her parents had done this with two children was a wonder to her. It had been a tiring few months, especially while doing it alone. But, with the help of her family she had felt more accomplished.

She was just about to shut the nursery door when the crying started. It was a harsh cry that was sure to make her ears bleed in the future. Not again, she thought mournfully.

She had been so ready to fall onto her bed and fall asleep until Ralph cried next. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and pushed the door open again.

The baby looked up at her with identical brown eyes and little black curls on his head; his eyes were round and red. Tears sparked his eyes and Paige leaned down to pick him up again.

Paige cradled him in her arms and walked around the small nursery as she tried to calm him. She started humming a tune that her mother had sang to her when she was younger. Ralph calmed but his whimpers threatened to turn into full fledged wailing at the drop of a hat.

Her voice raised a little until she was singing under her breath to her son. Ralph's eyes grew heavy and it calmed some of her frayed nerves to see her son fall asleep so quickly. A lazy smile formed on her face as she thought about sleeping in her bed uninterrupted for the next few hours.

Ralph's cries stopped and peaceful breathing filled the room. Paige kept humming under her breath to not disturb him. She carefully set him in the crib and stood back for a moment and paused to see if he would start crying again. When no sound came, Paige quietly backed out of the room. Her hand grasped the cold metal of the doorknob and stepped out into the hallway. Once the door was fully closed she released a deep breath and walked into her bedroom in hope of a peaceful sleep.

.

.

The click of the key unlocking the front door to the Dineen household was heard throughout the house. Paige walked in with her coat, purse and keys in her hand. The silence unnerved her, most times the house was a bundle of sound and what was surprising was most of it came from her older brother. Whether it was yelling or screaming, there was always sound.

She dropped her keys into her purse and set her purse down on the entry way table while she then hung up her coat. Paige walked further into the house her footsteps as quiet as a mouse. The lights were on in several rooms, yet as far as she had gone they were all empty.

She frowned usually when she got home from her low paying job as a cashier there was at least one voice she could hear. And no matter who she heard it improved her mood.

Paige kept walking towards the living room and when she walked in she saw her three year old son crawling on his hands and knees looking behind the couch. Paige frowned and walked into the living room. He wasn't usually this mobile. He had been able to walk at what her mother said was an exceptionally young age, yet since then he had mostly spent his time on the floor looking through picture books.

"Ralph?" questioned Paige as she walked up to her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't react to her touch, she repeated his name a little louder and his quiet dark eyes met hers. At times his eyes shifted from her amber to his father's dark brown. One of the many things she remembered about his father was his expressive dark eyes just like a dogs. It was easy to read in the short amount of time that she had known him.

"What are you doing?" asked Paige quietly.

"Looking for Andew." said Ralph as he looked up and his eyes scanned the room. His brow was furrowed and he had an incredibly adorable look of concentration on his face.

That was when it clicked for her, he was playing hide and seek with her brother, Andrew. Andrew Dineen was a couple years older than Paige and had black hair with ice cold blue eyes. The perfect mix of their father and mother. He acted like a child most of the time but had somehow figured out how to worm himself into Ralph's heart.

"Boo!" came a voice from behind the recliner in the corner of the room. Paige nearly jumped out of her skin while Ralph just looked over to the chair and a small smile came over his face.

"I win," murmured Ralph and Paige grinned.

.

.

"What is the moon's favorite gum?" asked Andrew as he looked expectantly at Paige. Paige wrapped an arm around her four year old son as he climbed up into her lap. She sighed dramatically as Ralph trailed his fingers along her arm as if he was curious about touching her.

"I don't know." said Paige as her brother's blue eyes sparkled playfully.

"Orbit." he said and burst into laughter.

Paige sighed and ran a hand through her hair. His jokes were bad. They were always bad and Paige endured them because sometimes they brought a smile to her face. Sometimes the small laugh was worth it in the long run, it helped her get through the long days.

A firm knock on the door caused their laughter to cease and look in the direction of the door. To her knowledge no one was supposed to come over that day and any one rarely visited that one family that didn't disown their daughter for being pregnant and single.

"Are we expecting anyone?" asked Andrew as his eyes darted between Paige and the door. Paige's grip tightened on her son for a moment before she told herself to relax.

"I don't think so." said Paige as she stood up.

"Watch Ralph," Paige ran her fingers through her son's dark curly hair and stood up.

Paige walked out of the living room and down the hall. Pictures of her family jumped out at her, pictures of her caring for Ralph and old family pictures of when Paige was eight years old and her brother was twelve.

Hesitantly Paige walked down the hall the floors creaking under her feet. She took a deep breath and pulled open the door.

On her family's doorstep stood Drew Baker. Paige resisted the urge to growl at the sight of seeing her ex. She was still mad at him for screwing her over. She was over him and nothing would change that. Besides the fact that she hated him with a burning passion.

Anger was rising in her like lava from a volcano and she was sure that she just might explode like one too. If she did it might get him to go away.

"What do you want?" Paige managed to say, anger dripping from every word.

"I missed you and wanted to see my son." said Drew. Paige could feel her ire rising at the thought that he had missed her. It was bullshit and he knew it. It confused her for a moment about who he was thinking his son was until it hit her, he thought that Ralph was his son.

She nearly laughed. Ralph certainly wasn't his son and wasn't sure how he had even thought that Ralph was his son. It was ridiculous to think that Ralph could even be Drew's son, he didn't look anything like him and certainly didn't act like him.

"He is not your son." said Paige simply. She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

"Really, now?" he asked mockingly as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. Paige took a step back as he got closer. She didn't want him anywhere near her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked a voice from the hallway. There stood Paige's father, Mark Dineen, his face was stone cold as he stared at the man on his doorstep. Paige was thankful for her father's sudden appearance. She wasn't fully sure how she would have gotten Drew to go away, but her father had never liked him, which was showing itself in that moment.

.

.

Paige folded an old shirt of hers and placed it in the suitcase.

"Paige, you don't need to-" started her mother once more. Paige shook her head vehemently.

"It is, and I don't want him coming back. If I'm not here then he won't bother you." said Paige tiredly, she took a deep breath, "I also, need to get on my own feet. I need to have a fresh start. And I'll always come back."

Paige paused from her packing and gave her mother a hug, she knew what she was doing was hard for all of them, but it needed to happen. She couldn't live under her parent's roof the rest of her life like a child. She needed to start in a new place, just her and Ralph. It would be for the better.

"Where are you going?" asked her mother worriedly tugging on the hem of her shirt.

"L.A."

.

.

Paige sniffled and tried to hold back the tears that were stinging her eyes. The sun shone down brightly and birds say loudly. It was the exact opposite of what she was feeling. Paige was almost waiting for rain to come and slap the pavement and for somber clouds to roll in and hang over them.

The sight of her mother, Andrew and her father all standing on the sidewalk with Ralph holding her mother's hand was almost too much.

Only, because it was the day. It was the day that her and Ralph were leaving. The first day that the two of them would be starting out on their own without the help of others.

It was terrifying.

If she could manage to get in her car without fully breaking down or going back on leaving, then it would be a success. She could breakdown in a hotel room after Ralph was asleep.

Paige took a deep breath and moved forwards, towards her family. She walked down the front path and it felt as if she was floating down the path. It seemed that each step was moving her faster and faster towards a fate she didn't want to face just yet.

Tears pricked at her eyes and nose threatening to assault her and if they came Paige knew that they wouldn't be able to stop. She approached her father first and engulfed him in a hug. He seemed to be barely holding himself together and it tore at Paige when she realized it.

"Promise you'll call." said Her father, his voice stuttering slightly.

"I will."

Slowly she let go of her father and fell into her brother's arms. His eyes usually sparkling with laughter was almost oddly blank.

"Be careful." he gruffly whispered in her ear as she clung to him and "Maybe one day I'll be out to visit you."

Paige nodded and sniffed loudly. She wiped at her eyes and let go of her brother. Paige collapsed into her mother's arms and wasn't sure if she would be able to let her go. Her mother's sobs were like nails on her flesh. It was grating, she hadn't heard her mother sob violently like she was in that moment.

"I'll call." said Paige into her mother's ear, her statement seemed not to help at all as her mother's sobs grew louder.

"I love you." cried Jamie Dineen.

"I love you, too,"

Paige slowly let go and looked into her mother's eyes.

"I'll visit and you guys can come out to L.A. too." said Paige to her family. She looked down at Ralph and the innocence on his face picked at her like a prisoner with a spoon.

Ralph moved around the family giving hugs. He didn't look too broken up about it, but it was entirely possibly that he just wasn't sure what was happening. Reminding herself that he was only four years old helped her only the slightest bit.

Paige's lip quivered as she looked at her family. She could feel the presence of Ralph by her side. She took a last glance at her family before opening the car door for Ralph and helping him into his seat and then getting into her own seat. She started the car with shaky hands and drove away from her family home that had been filled with love, laughter and family.

.

.

Walter O'Brien's eyes scanned his screen as he hacked through several firewalls of their latest client's job.

"Hello, Walter." said Tobias Curtis as he sat on a chair by Walter's desk. Tobias Curtis was a behaviorist that often knew the truth of people by their actions. He often chose to antagonize Walter with his abilities. And nearly daily Walter hoped that this habit of his would simply stop.

"What, Toby?" asked Walter annoyance coloring his tone.

"I just wanted to know your deepest darkest secret and in turn I'll tell you mine." said Toby as he put his arms on his knees and his head in his hands.

Walter just shook his head and went back to his computer. Why would he even want to know what would be considered a secret? It was illogical.

"You're just trying to avoid me, which means that there is something you don't want to tell me." said Toby, a smug smile on his face as he said it. Walter glared at him.

"I don't have any secrets."

The thought of the woman he met in New York passed through his mind, she haunted his dreams along with a young boy or girl that was a mixture with both of them.

"Your eyes dilated which means that there is something you're thinking about." said Toby as he stared at Walter, waiting for him to say something.

Walter remained silent, he didn't want to give anything away, even if Toby did have a way of getting him to say things. He wouldn't react, he would remain still and Toby won't be able to find anything.

"Let me guess, it's about a woman?" asked Toby and then he smiled victoriously. He saw something in his actions. Walter knew that he would have to figure out a way to stop Toby from figuring things out about him.

"There's nothing about a woman." lied Walter.

"You shouldn't have even tried, Walter. I know when you're lying." said Toby smiling at him, Walter glared at him again. "Lovechild?"

Walter remained stoic as Toby guessed right on the spot of what Walter would consider his deepest secret.

"You have a kid?" yelled Toby loud enough for everyone in the Garage to hear. Walter groaned and put his head in his hands. He didn't need any of them to know this. He would have been perfectly fine without them ever figuring this out.

The sounds of footsteps coming towards them, spurred Walter to keep his head in his hands.

"You have a kid?" Toby repeated quieter. Walter lifted his head out of his hands and looked up to see that Sylvester Dodd; a math genius, Happy Quinn; a mechanical genius and Mark Collins; a man with an I.Q. that rivalled Walter's own; all of these geniuses were standing before him.

"I guess." said Walter as he looked at his team.

"You guess?" asked Sylvester questioningly.

"Never met them." said Walter gruffly.

"Couldn't you have just hacked in?" asked Happy as she shifted her weight and watched the interactions curiously.

"I didn't know any last names and I think I needed to." Walter shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the rest of his team watched him like something under a microscope.

The rest of the team nodded slightly.

"Let's get back to work." said Walter as he began typing on his computer again. The team all walked away, except for Sylvester who stood nervously in front of Walter's desk.

"I think you should try and find them. A kid needs their dad and they could be a genius." said Sylvester, his voice growing louder and louder as he went gaining confidence.

Walter nodded as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out as he heard Sylvester's retreating footsteps. He looked at the text that his phone received, it was from his current girlfriend to meet him at a diner the next afternoon. He sent a text confirming the date and then went back to work.

 **A/N: To clear some things up, in the last chapter Walter didn't know that that was Paige because there were probably thousands of people named Paige in New York and he could never be sure if it was her.**

 **Thank you guys for all of the positive feedback. There was a couple reviews that were in Spanish and I tried to translated it to the best of my abilities with a semester of first year Spanish. Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: Still waiting on people to get back to me on that owning Scorpion thing. And my sister is across the room from me so I haven't traded her yet.**


	5. Chapter 4 The Sighting of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 4: The Sighting of a Genius**

 _That heart is so cold_

 _All over my home_

 _I don't wanna know that babe_

 _-Don't, Ed Sheeran_

Paige walked on the sidewalk with Ralph's hand in her own. The sun shined down on them like it was a perfect day. In some ways it was. She was spending time with Ralph and he was willingly holding her hand. It was a large improvement, to him walking stoically at her side.

She looked around and watched the various street vendors sell to people and the lingering smell of lavender in the air.

A woman with dark hair and a healthy tan hue to her skin was walking on the sidewalk with crutches. She seemed to be enjoying herself out in the sun and Paige couldn't help but hope that she could live her life like that.

The woman's crutch seemed to get stuck in a crack in the street and she went tumbling to the ground. Paige let go of Ralph's hand and walked quickly over to the woman to help her up. Paige knelt to her knees to help the woman stand, the woman used Paige's support to get upright and a hold on her crutches.

"Sorry about that," said the woman, a hint of an irish accent in her voice.

"It's no problem,"

"I'm Paige and this is my son, Ralph." said Paige as she nodded towards her son. Ralph seemed to be infatuated with staring at the ground

"I'm Megan," said the woman smiling brightly. She held a hand out and Paige shook it. Paige glanced down at Ralph to see if he would introduce himself or say something.

"Sorry about that, he's usually really quiet." said Paige. Megan looked up at her and then stared at Ralph for a moment as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

"He reminds me of my younger brother," said Megan, she paused and pursed her lips.

"Ralph, do you know the angle of that roof?"

Paige watched in surprise as Ralph's head turned towards the roof and in a moment he was opening his mouth to respond. "Eighty two degrees."

Paige gaped in surprise. She had no idea that Ralph was capable of doing that. She didn't know that he could calculate angles by looking at that, hell, she had never been able to do that when she was younger. However he got that in his genes, she was curious. Paige knew she wasn't that smart, thus she assumed that it was somewhere on his father's side.

"Just like my brother, he even looks like him." murmured Megan as she stared fondly at Ralph.

"If you want I can tell you more about this," offered Megan as she gestured towards the roof. Paige nodded as she looked down at Ralph to see him studying the sidewalk again.

"Here's my phone number," said Paige scribbling her number down on a scratch piece of paper.

"And if you want to talk about Ralph or just chat, call me." said Paige hesitantly. She didn't have really any friends in L.A. It was only her and Ralph and the prospect of having a friend was appealing.

"I think this will be a beautiful friendship." said Megan smiling brightly at her.

.

.

Paige blinked tiredly as she scrubbed at the small flecks of food on the diner counter top. She scrubbed harder as the speck of food came off.

She walked through the diner and checked in on customers and used a fake cheeriness as she talked to them. Inside she was thinking about her son. She was worried about him it was his first day of school and he hadn't spoken much to other students during the last school years and she hoped that at some point it had changed.

Teachers seemed to think that he was challenged and Paige thought it was something different. Whenever he spoke to her he seemed slightly different than when he interacted with teachers. She wanted to help him and how she would was a different possibility. From what she had tried so far it didn't work as well, but she was determined to help him.

The bell rung above the door and Paige finished taking the order of a family of three that had just ordered. She took the order back to the kitchen and then looked out back at the small crowd of people that were in the diner.

The first person that had just entered was a woman with blonde hair and soft blue eyes, she seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with the person next to her. The next person caused Paige's stomach to drop to the floor and for her brain to escape her mind, her hands became clammy and not one coherent thought ran through her head.

The man next to the woman had dark curly hair and mesmerizing dark eyes that held intelligence that could easily pull Paige in. She recognized the man easily enough and his face had haunted her dreams for nearly the past ten years.

He was Walter, the father of her son. Who she hadn't seen in nearly ten years.

Black spots dotted her vision and she forced herself to take deep breaths. She couldn't freak out just because a man had shown up at her place of work. Paige gathered her determination and reminded herself that her shift was ending soon so she could go and pick up Ralph.

Paige walked on shaky feet out to the table the couple sat at. A stab of jealously pricked her and she tried to quell the feeling, she didn't have any rights to him. She only had a son with him and he didn't know who he was. He just knew that he had a child somewhere.

She stood in front of the couple and paused for a moment as she gathered her courage.

"Hi, welcome to Kovalskys'. I'm Paige and I'll be your waitress. Is there anything I can get you."

Only after she finished her spiel did she risk looking up. His name came floating in her head in big block letters, it was hard for her to forget it, especially with it being her son's middle name.

Dark eyes met hers and recognition misted through his eyes. His eyes became wide in alarm before he seemed to suppress it. He must have remembered their last semi conversation, well she had done all of the talking. She forced herself not to focus on him and to think of other matters. Or the fact that he was not alone and that there was a woman there with him.

"Just a coffee." said the woman that was with Walter. Paige nodded and her gaze turned firmly onto Walter. She didn't dare back down and needed to prove to herself that she could stand up to ten year old ghosts.

"Uh, water." stuttered Walter. Paige nodded and walked away on shaky legs and prayed that it wasn't easily visible.

She heaved a sigh of relief and walked behind the counter. Paige took care of a few orders before she could worry about going back to their table. She glanced at the clock to see that her shift ended within the next few minutes.

If she timed it right she wouldn't have to worry about their food orders and giving him time to speak to her. He didn't say anything to her when she told him she was pregnant, a part of her mind urged her to talk to him about. Hell, they had a child together.

She grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee and then grabbed a glass of water. She brought it to the table where the two of them were sitting at. The air seemed awkward between them and Paige knew not to question it.

She set down the cups in front of the respective people and stole a glance at both of them. The woman seemed annoyed and Walter seemed oblivious.

"My shift ends in a couple minutes so Sarah," Paige pointed over to a brunette waitress that was helping a family get seated. "will be taking over for me."

The woman nodded and Paige walked away before she could get a reaction from Walter. She didn't know if he would want to meet his son, but she was afraid to find out. If he wanted to meet Ralph, what would happen then? Would they get along? Would they hate each other? Would they have to adapt him into Ralph's life? Was it the right thing to do?

Paige sighed, irritated that she was overthinking the situation. Of course it was all possibilities, but if she focused on all of those details it would drive her crazy.

But, what caused her stomach to drop to her feet was that she often brought Ralph to the diner while she worked and she guessed that Walter came here often enough. Whether it was usually when she didn't have a shift or it was because she had started working there recently.

She would be able to figure it out. Paige knew that she was stronger than this and could find a way to overcome it, even if it ended up with her quitting her job.

Paige snuck into the back and worked to untie her apron, she had to get out of there. She couldn't stay and risk anything. It helped that Ralph would be waiting for her.

She walked out of the backroom and slowly the smell of cooking food grew faint. She glanced at Walter's table and saw the other waitress, Sarah, there. Amber eyes met onyx and Paige sighed.

She tore her eyes away and pushed open the door, the only sound was the bell above the door signalling her departure.

.

.

Walter O'Brien drove himself to the Garage in a numb state. He wasn't okay, but his mind kept insisting that he shouldn't feel anything. He didn't have any emotions.

.

.

Paige sat at her kitchen table, the lightbulb above her head flickering. She flipped through the bills that were piling up on her counter and sighed, she ran a hand through her hair that was slowly falling through the messy bun she had put it in.

"Mom?" came a quiet voice from around the corner. Paige looked up to see Ralph's head sticking around the corner.

"Hey," said Paige softly as Ralph walked up to the table. He was just the distraction she needed at that moment. Ralph pulled out the seat beside her and sat down. Paige reached over and ran a hand through his dark hair. The thought of other dark curls that she had run her fingers through ran through her mind like a flash.

"Mom?" asked Ralph softly, his voice barely audible. He had a pensive expression on his face that she had seen showing up on his face more often than not.

"What?" asked Paige as she looked into Ralph's dark eyes.

"Do I have a dad?"

Paige's heart broke, the look in his eyes got to her. A flood of guilt overran her as she thought of the times that she could've told him about his father. It never came up and he didn't ask much. Ralph had only asked a couple questions about his father and they were when he was young and most likely doesn't remember it.

"Of course you do, Sweetie." said Paige as she looked down at her son's face tenderly.

"Why don't I know him?" asked Ralph, his face scrunching up in bit her lip as she tried to think about how to answer his question. She knew that she should've given Wallter more of a chance to say something, but she had went through it head first.

"I know he loves you." Paige paused for a moment as she tried to think of what would make him feel better, and what was the truth.

"Did you know that you got your hair from him?" asked Paige as she moved down to his face level. Ralph shook his head as a hand reached up and touched a lock of his hair.

"Ralph, if there's anything else you want to know about your dad ask and I'll answer it the best I can." said Paige sincerely as she put a hand on Ralph's shoulder. Ralph nodded and then stood. He pushed back his chair and walked over to Paige, he stiffly wrapped his arms around her and Paige felt a grin stretch across her face.

 **A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry it took a bit longer, I've been swamped with homework. So if any of you can change that I can devote all of my time to writing this story. Now I have to go write and essay so please follow, favorite and review so I can be happy when I get back to check it.**

 **Disclaimer: Well, my sister is still here and it could be only a few days until the Scorpion people get back to me. I mean who wouldn't want a fifteen nearly sixteen year old girl to run a t.v. show?**

 **So yeah I don't own anything yet...**


	6. Chapter 5 The Sister of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 5: The Sister of a Genius**

 _it's too much to risk_

 _You give me some,_

 _but you've been holding most of it_

 _-Codes, Ellie Goulding_

Paige scribbled her and Ralph's names in the visitor log. She pushed the binder away and handed Ralph a visitor's badge. He clipped it onto the sweater he was wearing and Paige did the same to her shirt. They walked through the sterile halls and Paige nodded at any doctor that passed and they stared straight ahead.

They walked down another hall and Paige pushed open the third door on the right. Paige and Ralph entered a bright room with large windows that let light stream in. Tan plush couches were scattered around the room.

Amber eyes searched the room for a specific woman that should be waiting there for them. Paige had told her the time and date that her and Ralph would be coming to visit.

Her eyes fell on a woman that was sitting by herself on one of the many plush couches. Her dark hair went past her shoulders and her bright brown eyes were looking around the room for the two people that had just walked in.

Paige waved at her and Megan waved back. Her and Ralph weaved in and out of the way of patients to reach Megan.

"Hey," said Paige as she approached Megan. Ralph took a seat next to Megan and looked at her expectantly. She chuckled and pulled out a pad of paper that had been sitting next to her.

"I had my brother write up a few problems when he last visited." said Megan as she watched Ralph start the problems.

Small spidery handwriting stuck out in the paper to her. Numbers and letters mixed that Paige could make no sense of.

"We should meet your brother some day." said Paige as she watched her son work through the problems.

Paige wondered who the man that could be Megan's brother. The way she described him made him sound like some smart super hero. She had a light in her eye that wasn't there usually. She described a few of their childhood antics or the depth of his intelligence. It was all interesting and most of the time Paige wanted to know more and learn about Megan's childhood.

"I can try and set something up the next time he visits." said Megan with a smile. Paige smiled back and the two women watched Ralph work in silence.

.

.

It seemed that every Monday Walter came to the diner with his girlfriend. It didn't matter if it was rain or sun, he always came. Sometimes she dreaded it and other times she welcomed the thought of seeing her son's father. Whenever he came she made sure to be in a different area of the diner or working in the back. But, each time she saw him, she at least felt his eyes upon her once.

He never tried to talk to her and she didn't try to talk to him. Ralph never came with her her, he was always at school. Except school had just finished up that week and she had been taking Ralph to the diner with her while she searched for a babysitter that she could afford.

It was a Monday, the sun was shining through the large windows of the diner and Ralph was sitting on the counter moving condiments around. Paige glanced at the clock and knew that Walter would be there in approximately two minutes. He always got there at the exact same time every week.

She sighed and walked past Ralph, her fingers grazing his shoulder. He didn't react, he never did. He only reacted when she said his name loudly. The same thing seemed to happen to his father, she often saw his girlfriend say his name loudly and only then would he respond.

Paige tried to ignore the niggling thought on why both of them reacted that way. Whether there was more to it or not. The school counselor at Ralph's elementary school had said that he was just quiet and a little behind the others. Paige was hard pressed to believe them, as when they spoke to Megan, she knew just how to get through Ralph's shield, and from what she had shown Paige, Ralph's abilities were far from being behind other kids. He was far ahead and could do math that Paige didn't have a chance at trying to process.

The bell above the door rang and Paige's head snapped up. Her eyes met Walter's for a moment before he walked over to a booth and sat down. He didn't seem to notice the little boy that resembled him in many ways sitting at the counter moving salt and pepper shakers around.

His girlfriend walked in a moment later with a stern look on her face. Paige watched as she started speaking and it seemed that Walter had zoned out. She continued to speak and when she seemed to have gained Walter's attention, he said something that caused her face to grow tired.

Paige assumed that they either broke up or it was about a fight. Walter seemed like the type that either didn't pay attention or try to understand. Part of her wondered if she had dodged a bullet, not fully knowing him.

.

.

Paige wiped down the counter with an old rag as her eyes kept glancing between her son and Walter. He seemed to have convinced Nemos to hire him to fice the wireless. However he did that, she would like to know.

"Paige! Your kid is making a mess! Again your boy is all over my shakers!" yells her boss and Paige clenches her jaw in annoyance. She resists the urge to yell back.

Her footsteps are silent as she walked over to Ralph. She put her hand on his shoulder and tried to ignore the way he kept staring at the salt and pepper shakers. She leaned in and whispered reassurance in his ear. Neither, noticed a dark pair of eyes glued to them trying to process what was happening.

Paige swore that she had only been away from Ralph for a couple minutes when she glanced over and saw that his father had walked over to him. Paige cursed under her breath as she saw Walter move around one of the pepper shakers around.

How did he know what to do with the salt and pepper shakers? Was this something that she couldn't understand? Was it something that only men understood? What the hell was happening?

She saw Walter make a sudden move with the salt shaker and both their hands move away from the counters. Paige decided that enough was enough, she didn't need him near her son. She stalked up to him and looked Walter up and down for a moment. He hadn't changed much in the past ten years, his features were a little sharper, but he still had an intelligent air surrounding him.

"Excuse me?" asked Paige causing his head to snap up and his eyes to meet hers. "How may I help you?" she asked stiffly. His eyes widened and glanced at Ralph before his face turned into a blank mask.

"You might want to help him." said Walter before he walked out, telling Nemos not to yell at Ralph anymore.

Paige's eyes followed him out in confusion. Why didn't he try and say anything to Ralph and why didn't he try to speak with her?

.

.

Paige's face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to recall some of her past orders. She scribbled them down and placed them out for the cook. She crabbed the coffee pot and started pouring it into a mug.

The sound of police sirens in the distance took Paige out of her wonder. Paige looked up and glanced at Ralph. He didn't move an inch at the sound of the sirens.

She looked out the large windows of the diner to see a couple big SUV pull into the lot. Paige watched in shock as several people jumped out and started walking towards the diner.

One man with dark sunglasses and a black suit pushed the door open first.

"Owner! Agent Gallo, Homeland Security," the man pulled out a badge and shoved it into Nemos' face. "We need to commandeer your diner for a national emergency. You can stay, but that's it." The man threw a small pile of money on the counter.

Paige watches frozen as Agent Gallo and other agents start to shoo people out and Nemos started to yell at everyone to get out. Paige glanced up at the door, and when she was sure that she couldn't be more shocked in one day, she was. In walked Walter, leading a group of three. She vaguely recognized these people as the ones that had been out with Walter when she had told him she was pregnant.

What the hell was happening?

.

.

Paige sat on her couch in her apartment trying to think of everything that had happened that day. It wasn't the usual day of scrounging for tips, placing orders for snobs who thought they knew her or watching Ralph.

That day she had aided a team of geniuses, including her son's father and learning that her son was a genius caused a lot of emotional trauma. Walter had only spoken to her when necessary and had only told her that her son was a genius and never mentioned anything about being his father.

It bothered her slightly that Walter had never said anything about being Ralph's father. He had mentioned that he had a photographic memory, so he has to remember when she had told him and Ralph looked far too like him to deny it.

A knock on the door surprised Paige out of her stupor. She stood and walked over to the door. She peered through the peephole and saw a mass of curly hair and dark eyes. Paige unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Walter." said Paige in surprise, her tone hardly hiding it. "Come in."

She was curious why Walter was showing up at her apartment that late and how he knew where she lived. A part of her wanted to talk about Ralph with him and another wanted to ask about the case being wrapped up. Paige stepped aside as Walter walked in and he dug his hands into his pockets.

"I know it's, uh, late." started Walter and Paige merely nodded.

"I just wanted to, um, say thank you for your help today." said Walter his eyes burning a hole in the carpet.

"You're welcome." said Paige as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You came all the way over here to tell me that?" asked Paige with a raised eyebrow. Walter shook his head before opening his mouth.

"No, there's two things, I wanted to offer you a job. Government-funded problem solvers." said Walter, Paige looked at him curiously.

They were already in deep and he wanted to work with her. They shared a son, that he hadn't acknowledged! And she wasn't sure how to respond to it. She was still debating with herself whether to or not bring up Ralph. But for her and Ralph's sake she hoped that the second thing he would say would acknowledge the elephant in the room.

"Uh why? I'm-I'm not a genius." asked Paige as she processed what he was offering her. It was an opportunity for her and her son to get to know Walter and figured that it would be a positive for Ralph. And Ralph was her number one priority.

"No, but you are raising one. That takes, uh, someone smart, brave Now, our work requires, uh, interaction with people." Walter paused for a moment. "It's not our strength. You want to know about your son, I can translate him for you."

"You translate the world for us."

Paige nodded in agreement and in that moment she knew that she would have to take the job. It was the best thing for Ralph and herself. The next step would be to figure out how to tell Ralph that Walter was his father, even if he had figured it out himself. It seemed that Ralph had figured out many things that she hadn't told him and knew that there was no plus from keeping it from him.

"I'll take the job." Walter nodded at her words and took a deep breath as his fingers tapped rhythmically on his thigh.

"What was the second thing you wanted to discuss?" asked Paige, his head turned towards her and he let out a ragged breath.

"Ralph." said Walter shortly. Paige nodded in agreement. She motioned to the living room and he nodded. Paige led him towards the living room, she sat on the loveseat as he sat on the edge of the couch.

"Am I his father?" asked Walter, his voice small and tender, unlike the commanding and all knowing Walter she had gotten to know that afternoon. He was helpless like a small child that didn't know whether they could handle the truth.

"Yes,"

Walter ran a hand through his hair and Paige looked down at her lap. What else was she supposed to say? Would he take her word for it?

He nodded and knitted his fingers together.

"I want to know him." said Walter, his head snapping up to meet her eyes. Paige bit her lip and then nodded.

He had a right to know and he didn't have any way to contact her while Ralph was growing up and she had no way to contact him. It seemed fair that he got to know Ralph now instead of outright refusing him. It would only cause problems, especially because she had just agreed to work for him.

"We can set up times that you can see him." said Paige as she felt tension melt away from her body. "He'll be happy to know you." added Paige quietly.

"Thank you." said Walter as he stood. He looked around the apartment and in particular interest at the pictures on the wall. There were pictures of Paige with Ralph and Ralph with her family. The pictures had provided comfort over the time that they had been away. She sighed and walked with crossed arms over to him.

"He looks happy." said Walter simply. Paige nodded and bit her lip. She had been proud at the emotion that Ralph had been showing in the pictures, back then he didn't smile often and she had been happy that she had managed to catch one of the moments on camera.

"Walter?" asked a small voice from around the corner. Paige turned towards the voice and Ralph stood there in his pajamas, watching his fellow genius. Paige smiled at the innocent picture he painted standing there.

"Hey buddy," said Walter as he knelt down to Ralph's level.

Paige took a couple steps back to let the geniuses get to know each other. They talked in hushed whispers and she goes around the corner and into the kitchen. Their voices grow as the night progresses and Paige listens halfheartedly to the few words she can hear and each time she hears Ralph's voice she smiles.

It used to be a chore to get Ralph to talk to any person, but seeing him now connecting with his father caused a joy to rise in her chest.

 **A/N: Ta da! Another chapter. I meant to post it earlier but I have been super busy. And are you guys excited for the new episode of Scorpion on Monday? Happy Easter!**

 **Disclaimer: Day 28: My sister is still here and I am waiting on the Scorpion people. So I still don't own Scorpion yet.**

 **3.26.16**


	7. Chapter 6 The Insight of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 6: The Insight of a Genius**

 _Staring at two different_

 _views on your window ledge_

 _Coffee has gone cold,_

 _it's like time froze_

 _There you go wishing,_

 _floating down our wishing well_

 _-Middle, DJ Snake Featuring Bipolar Sunshine_

Paige held Ralph's hand in her own as she walked through the hospital hallways. He looked around thoughtfully and Paige glanced at her surroundings while keeping an eye on Ralph.

She pushed open a large door and entered the hospital visiting room and scoured the area for her friend. Her eyes fell on Megan and then gulped audibly as she recognized the man sitting with her.

"Mom, is that Walter?" asked Ralph, Paige glanced down at her son and nodded. Paige looked between her son and Walter and tried to ignore the obvious similarities between the two.

One part of Paige wanted to run as far as she could to avoid her problems, the other part of her wanted to go and confess all of what was happening to Megan. She took a deep breath and squeezed Ralph's hand lightly.

They walked closer and Megan's eyes lit up when she saw them. Paige smiled lightly at her and sucked in a breath as Walter turned around and looked at them. His eyes probed both of them as they stepped closer and she had no idea what to do.

"Hey, Ralph." said Walter as Ralph walked ahead of Paige towards the two.

It made sense that Walter and Megan were siblings and it made it a lot more clear of how Megan figured out that Ralph was a genius. They both had similar features and it made Paige feel incredibly slow as she looked again between the siblings.

Megan's face was radiant at the sight of them and Walter's face was blank.

"Do you guys know each other?" asked Megan as her eyes bounced between Ralph and Walter. She suddenly looked like she had swallowed a lemon. Paige sucked in a breath and knew that Megan had figured out who Ralph's father is.

"Yes," Walter spoke up. "We met on the case and decided that it would be the most efficient for them to work with Scorpion." explained Walter.

"Ok, Walter." said Megan as she smiled at her brother. Paige watched the interaction with interest. It was obvious the two cared for each other and it brought a soft smile to her face. Her relationship with Andrew was more playful and that he had a large role in Ralph's life.

"Come on, sit down." said Megan as she motioned to the couch. Paige hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to Megan with Walter on the other side. Ralph sat down next to Walter and began to mumble to each other.

Megan raised an eyebrow and then laughed lightly. She smiled at Paige and Paige felt as if she could reveal all of her darkest secrets to her and not be judged for one of them.

Paige tapped her fingers on her leg rhythmically as she watched the two geniuses converse. Her and Megan sat in silence and Paige's anxiety was slowly mounting. Megan had been able to figure out who Ralph's father in a few seconds of seeing them together and it worried her. She didn't want everyone being able to figure out who Ralph's father was.

"He's his father:" Megan mouths as she nods at Walter. Paige nods reluctantly and an excited look came across Megan's face. Her eyes practically glow as her eyes quickly shift between Paige, Ralph and Walter.

The look on Megan's face was of complete awe and the worry in Paige's chest dissipated. Megan was excited to be an aunt and Paige was sure that she would try and spoil Ralph as best as she could.

It took Megan nearly bouncing in her seat for Walter to take notice. He turned and face Megan and Paige. His eyes shifted between them for a moment.

"What happened?" he asked curiously. Ralph leaned forwards and looked between them.

"Nothing," said Megan with a smile. Walter and Ralph don't look convinced, but they don't say anything.

.

.

A hand grabbed her arm and Paige turned to face Mark Collins. He gave her a sickly sweet smile and leaned in so his breath was warm against her neck. His breath smelled like a mixture of smoke and an old woman's couch.

Paige officially hated this case. It seemed that Mark Collins was able to get into all of their heads and affect their work. It had visibly affected Walter and Paige wasn't sure if she could do anything about it. She hated those types of people. And she didn't want him to get into her head.

"He's not going to be the best father," Paige bristles at his words and she rips her arm out of his grasp, but she doesn't move out of his reach. "He'll leave when you need him and will probably ruin the kid more than you will."

Paige glared at him before walking away quickly. She didn't want to show that he got to her. She wanted to be stronger than his mind games. Paige wouldn't believe his lies, she couldn't.

He'll be a fine father, he had already proved that. Walter won't leave, he would rather die than leave Ralph and Paige was sure of it. And Walter will only be able to help with Ralph's raising and help him to open up to other kids and be unlike the other geniuses. Screw what Mark Collins was saying.

She refused to meet anyone's eyes and she knew that Walter noticed. She still had Mark's words running through her mind and she didn't want to risk the way of her thinking. Paige wanted to remain strong and not fall apart.

They were on a case, she had to act professional and not let her personal problems interfere.

.

.

Paige smiled as she leaned against Walter's desk. Ralph was speaking excitedly to Walter about one thing or another. And Paige didn't understand a single word.

Her hand tightened on the duffel bag strap as she watched them. They interacted just how a father and son would be expected to. It caused her smile to widen as she Ralph with his father. It made her happy to see them together, she couldn't help but be content with her decision to move to L.A.

It was one of the best things she has ever done. Walter looked up and met her eyes for a moment. He smiled at her and focused back on Ralph.

"Hey," said Paige loud enough for them to hear her over whatever they had just started working on. "Here's his bag." She held up the duffel bag.

Walter walked over and reached to take the bag. Paige lifted it off her shoulder and handed it to him, he took it and threw it over his shoulder.

"Here's the list of all you need to do before he goes to bed." said Paige as she handed Walter a list that she had written before she left her apartment.

It was the first sleep over that Ralph was having at the Garage with just Walter and Paige was incredibly nervous. Ralph had never slept anywhere away from her and she was apprehensive about it.

Walter's eyes scanned over the list as if memorizing it and Paige was sure that he was. Walter nodded and glanced back at Ralph.

"I'll make sure that he does all this." said Walter as he nodded towards the list that was now in his hand. Paige nodded and started backing up towards the door.

"I have to get going. I'll see you guys at ten." said Paige waving back at them. "Ralph, be good for Walter."

Ralph nodded and smiled at her. Paige tried to ignore the budding feeling in her chest that screamed of warmth. She quickly walked towards the door only sparing a single glance over her shoulder to see Walter and Ralph hard at work and smiling at each other.

Paige walked out the Garage door and into the cool night air.

 **A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. This is a birthday present (even though today is my birthday, but still). Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

 **4.6.16**


	8. Chapter 7 The Brother of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 7:The Brother of a Genius**

 _Every time you smile, I smile_  
 _And every time you shine, I'll shine for you_

 _-Jump Then Fall, Taylor Swift_

"Hey," said Paige as she walked over to Walter. He smiled at her and looked down at the rat he was watching. The rat moved through the small maze and Paige watched it for a moment before turning to Walter.

His face was scrunched up in determination as he lifted up the rat and put it in the beginning of the maze. She liked the look of concentration on his face. It caused a warm feeling inside of her that she almost hated to acknowledge.

"Is there a chance that Ralph could stay over again?" asked Walter as his eyes stayed on the maze. Paige smiled softly as she watched Walter focus on the rat to avoid her gaze. He was afraid that she would say no.

"Of course." said Paige and she smiled wider as his head looked up at her, surprised. "Just let me know when works for you." she finished.

"Thanks, I uh appreciate it." said Walter as his cheeks turned a faint red.

The phone started to ring and Paige glanced at the doorway. Who was calling them?

"The phone's ringing!" Paige yelled down the stairs. She placed a hand on her hip and watched Walter.

"We're gambling!" yelled Toby back. Paige sighed exasperated, of course gambling went before business. The answering machine started playing and Paige looked back at Walter. She admired him as he worked with the rat and the annoyance that was shining through.

"Remind me why no digital voice mail." asked Paige as she looked around the loft for truly the first time.

"'Cause you can't hack analog." said Walter simply as he glared at the rat.

"Um, hi, this message is for Paige Dineen." Paige froze at the voice playing over the machine. She recognized that voice. She hadn't heard it in nearly five years. Her heart fell to her feet in frozen pieces. She had hoped that she would never have to deal with him again.

"This is Drew Baker. I know it's been a long time, Paige, I got your info from the diner. I was hoping that we could talk."

Paige rushed out of the loft muttering under her breath. She didn't need this. She didn't need him contacting her. She fully intended to answer the phone and yell at him until her voice was hoarse.

"I'd really like to see you guys." Paige could feel her anger rising as she continued down the stairs. She knew that she got odd looks from the other members of Scorpion as she practically ran down the stairs.

"Really would. I'm at the same cell number. Okay, bye." finished Drew. Paige dropped her hand from where it was about to pick up the phone. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip in anger.

"The hell was that all about?" asked Toby as he watched her carefully.

"Nothing." said Paige shortly. She heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Walter coming down. He raised an eyebrow at her as if to ask what was going on.

Sylvester, Toby and Happy continued to look at her expectantly as if that it would make her suddenly explain everything.

"You're angry," stated Toby.

"Thank you, Captain obvious." said Happy as she glared at Toby.

"He did something to you and I'm guessing that he left you" Toby paused for a moment and then searched her face before smirking. "He betrayed you," A gleeful look passed over Toby's face.

"How did he betray you?" asked Toby as he leaned forwards. Paige dug her fingernails into her palm to restrain herself from yelling at him. She glanced up at Walter as she thought of when they met. He was looking between her and the rest of the team. His mind was most likely going at a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out what was going on.

"Ex-husband," stated Paige as she crossed her arms over her chest. Toby raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is he Ralph's father?" asked Sylvester. Paige could hear Walter's breath hitched and she prayed that no one noticed. Toby glanced up at him and Paige cleared her throat to catch their attention and direct it away from Walter.

"No, he's not."

Sylvester looked at the floor and Happy looked uncomfortable to be around the conversation. Walter seemed to be trying to understand all that was happening. Toby seemed to be psychoanalyzing her and Paige tried to remain relatively stoic to look like she was not hiding anything.

"Let's get back to the case." said Walter as he walked down the stairs and into the heart of the Garage.

.

.

Paige glanced over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following her into that corner of the Garage. The rest of the team seemed to be celebrating the victory of solving the mission. And that no one was fatally injured.

She pulled out her cell phone and punched in the familiar numbers. She held it up to her ear and listened to the familiar ringing tones. She tapped her foot against the floor and looked around.

Paige could see Walter and Ralph sitting at the kitchen table going over some papers. While Sylvester was scribbling furiously on his whiteboard, Toby was reading two books at once and Happy was welding something together.

"Hello?" came a confused voice over the phone.

"Andrew?" said Paige in a hushed tone.

"Paige?" the voice became more excited.

"Hey," Paige said quietly.

"What's up?" asked Andrew in a relaxed tone. Paige smiled and was happy that she could speak to her brother. For some reason her brother had a calming sense on her. It was easy for them to talk to each other and Paige and her brother had a close relationship.

"Drew called." Paige paused unsure what to say next. How could she explain some of the fear she was feeling.

"Do you want me to come down?" asked Andrew. She could hear how serious he was. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair with her free hand.

"No, I can handle myself. And plus I have a few good friends down here." Paige said with a small smile.

"Are you sure?' Andrew repeated and PAige released an exasperated sigh. Sometimes her brother was far too over protective.

"I'm sure," she said with a smile. "Do you want to talk to Ralph?"

"Yeah, it's been awhile." Paige nodded, even if he couldn't see her.

"Hey, Ralph!" yelled Paige. He looked up at her and she motioned for him to come over. Ralph got up and walked over.

"Someone wants to talk to you." Paige handed him the phone and he took it. A smile broke out on his face as he spoke in quick tones.

She walked over to where Walter was sitting at the table. Walter glanced up at her before he glued his eyes back to what he was working on with Ralph.

"Could Ralph spend the night and go to the museum tomorrow morning because there is uh a new exhibit that he would enj-" Walter rambled. Paige held up a hand to stop him, but he didn't seem to notice as he kept speaking.

"Walter" His head snapped up to meet her eyes. She chuckled at the childish look on his face. He looked as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Of course he can." Walter breathed a sigh of relief and Paige chuckled.

"Don't get so nervous." scolded Paige lightly. "We can figure out times that would work for both of us."

Walter nodded and looked back at the papers, his hand tapped relentlessly on the table as if he couldn't decide whether or not to say something. Paige leaned back and decided to wait until he decided on what he wanted to say.

"Uh, we should um have dinner and discuss how to raise Ralph." Walter stuttered and Paige could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. "Just for Ralph's benefit." He added as an afterthought.

"Ok, we can discuss when later." said Paige with a wasn't sure if Walter was asking her on a date and another part of her didn't care. She wanted to get to know the man that was the father of her son.

A small smile found its way across his face and pink crept up the back of his neck. Paige bit her lip to stop a laugh from escaping her lips at his obvious embarrassment.

"I'll um text you tonight for the uh details." said Walter as he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

"Alright," said Paige as she walked over to where Ralph was meagerly talking on the phone.

 **A/N: Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes. Thank you for all of the reviews, they all mean a lot to me. And I mean to update more, I've just been working on another story that I am getting ready to publish on another account.**

 **Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: As always I own nothing, no matter how much I hope for more.**

 **5.19.16**


	9. Chapter 8 The Date of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **The "Date" of a Genius**

 _'cause there's nothing_

 _that your mind can't do_

 _-Helpless, Hamilton_

The thin fabric of the dress slid over her body and stuck to her body like glue. She ran her hands over the navy blue fabric that ended mid thigh. It was surprisingly soft and Paige would admit that she hadn't worn anything that nice in ages.

Paige looked at herself in the mirror. The navy blue dress was strapless and her hair fell in waves down her shoulders. She felt beautiful and even if it wasn't technically a date, she was still going to dress up nicely.

She would admit to herself that she had only a tiny crush on Walter, but that could be only due to the fact that he is the father of her child. It was the only reasonable option. Paige wouldn't dare entertain the thought that she might like him in a different way, not seriously. It just wasn't possible.

The sound of the doorbell ringing caught her attention. He was here. Walter had texted her that it would be more efficient for him to pick her up rather than meeting her at the restaurant.

Paige walked out of her bedroom to see Ralph's babysitter, Lauren sitting on the couch.

"I'm going to get going. Phone numbers are on the fridge. And Ralph need to go to bed at eight him that I said good bye." reminded Paige. She didn't fully trust Lauren and hoped that she would follow those rules. Paige didn't want to interrupt Ralph from whatever he was working on and she figured that she would most likely see him when she got back.

Paige pulled the front door open and Walter stood there, his hands were stuffed in his pockets with a nervous look on his face. She smiled reassuringly at him and grabbed her purse. With ease she slid it over her shoulder and walked out into the hall. Walter rocked back and forth on his heels and Paige found the little habit funny.

"Are you ready?" asked Paige with a small smile gracing her face. Walter turned to face her a confused look on his face for a moment before he nodded.

Paige walked further out into the hall and glanced behind herself to see Walter walking behind her.

"You look nice." His voice says from behind her. A blush finds its way to Paige's face and she is now thankful that she isn't facing him. The simple compliment was a surprise and she wasn't sure if he was even capable of it. The fact that he had complimented her meant the world to Paige and she didn't think that Walter realized exactly what he did.

"Thanks." Paige said just loud enough for him to hear.

They arrived at the elevator and Paige pressed the button and leaned back. She glanced over at Walter to see him staring intensely at the floor. The elevator opened with a ding and Paige stepped in and Walter followed right after her.

The elevator ride was silent and Paige wished that anything could happen just so they could escape the sea of awkwardness. Walter stood there staring straight forwards and Paige wondered how they could go from this to talking about the child they had together.

The elevator opened and they both stepped out walking through the lobby. No one spared a moment to look at them as they walked past. The cold air ambushed her as they stepped out. Paige led him to her car, she spotted his junked car parked across the street.

They drove down the streets of Los Angeles, the night life was alive and Paige could feel a faint thrumming in her veins. They pulled up to the restaurant that Walter had put a reservation for.

It was far fancier than she had imagined. She hadn't known what to expect from Walter, but she didn't expect a place whose food most likely cost more than her rent.

She stepped out of the car and numbly followed Walter into the restaurant. Paige tried to ignore the dimmed lighting and how well dressed the waiters and waitresses were. She hated that she couldn't afford this for her son. He certainly deserved it.

"Reservation under O'Brien." Walter said to the hostess.

The woman nods and motions for him to follow. Walter follows the woman and Paige stays close on his heels.

The woman leads them to a table and Paige quickly sits. Walter does the same and idly looks at the menu. Paige tries to look over the menu, but finds that she cannot focus on it. She is only focusing on the man in front of her.

Walter looks up to catch her staring at him, she quickly looks away and stares at the menu.

"What do you think is good?" Asked Paige as she glanced up at him.

"The fermented herring is good. Their Omega 3's neuroprotective properties are amazing." Walter spouted off as he kept eye contact with her.

Paige nodded. She had no intention on eating that, but she wasn't possibly going to tell him that. He had seemed surprised that she had even wanted to hear his opinion. Was he not used to that?

"Hello, I am Amana and I'll be your waitress tonight. Is there anything I could start you off with this evening?" The bubbly woman asked as she pulled out a notepad.

"Just a water," ordered Walter.

"I'll have the same." Added Paige.

The woman nodded and walked away. Paige toyed with the edge of menu and hoped that Walter would say something. She hated the deafening silence between them.

Not too much later the waitress came back to get their orders. Walter ordered his herring and Paige decided on a salad. They made small talk as they waited for their food.

Both of them were avoiding the topic at hand. Paige didn't want to bring the monster out of the closet. She wanted the partial peace between them. It was better than the tension that was building up between them as time passed slowly.

Their plates hit the table as the waitress returned. They glanced at each other as if they both knew that it was finally time to address the reason that they were there that night.

"I think-"

.

.

The car had soft hum to it as they drove along the city roads. Paige felt at least relatively at peace with their situation.

They had decided, with most of the coaxing from Paige to slowly introduce Walter as Ralph's father. With small things such as sleep overs and spending the day together.

Walter had first thought that they should tell him point blank and Paige refused. She didn't know how Ralph would react and even if Walter thought it was illogical. She was Ralph's mother and she had insisted that she knew best for her son. Even if Ralph had the same thought processes as Walter, she didn't think that his approach would have better long term effects. And when she had finally convinced Walter what would be best for Ralph, she would cherish the way that he accepted and she thought that a part of it changed him.

The car pulled to a stop in front of Paige's apartment building. Paige looked over at Walter, his hand was tapping the wheel near the keys.

"Would you mind if I um, walked you uh to your apartment?" His voice stuttered and Paige could feel an odd fuzzy feeling in her chest at the words. He was so nervous that it was nearly funny. She resisted the urge to laugh, as she was sure that if she did he would think that it would be for a whole different reason.

"That would be fine." Replied Paige with a smile. He relaxed in his seat and turned off his engine.

Paige stepped out of the car into the cool night air that had dimmed over the time she had left. They through the lobby in a comfortable silence. It seemed odd to let her boss/ father of her son, to be this close to her.

A part of her wanted to resent him for all the years alone she had spent. But for some odd reason she just wasn't able to. There was something holding her back from being able to. And whatever it was, she would love to figure it out/

All too soon they approached her apartment door.

"Thanks for tonight." She said shyly. Walter nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I had an um good time."

Paige smiled at his confession. It felt nice to hear him say that. He seemed to be always high strung and for a moment he was letting his guard down.

"Could I say goodnight to Ralph?" Asked Walter timidly. Paige smiled and nodded.

Paige put her key in the lock and turned the key. She opened the door to find the living room lit dimly. When Paige saw a man's body sitting on her couch she nearly screamed. Piercing blue eyes met hers.

"Andrew?"

 **A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. I feel so loved. I've read all of them and look forward to reading the different responses. As it is summer now and classes are over until September I should be updating a little more frequently.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing her, yet...**

 **6.17.16**


	10. Chapter 9 The Hope of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 9: The Hope of a Genius**

 _We keep living anyway_  
 _We rise and we fall  
And we break_  
 _And we make our mistakes_

 _-Wait For It, Hamilton (Lin Manuel-Miranda)_

Paige's jaw dropped open in surprise as she stared at her brother. Her brother who was supposed to be at home and not in her apartment. Why did he always do things like this?

"What are you doing here?" Asked Paige once she collected her mind and was able to form a coherent sentence. She could feel Walter stiffen from behind her.

"I got your call?" He stated simply.

"I told you to stay home and not come." She stressed the word 'not'. Andrew just shook his head as if swatting away a fly.

"Where's Ralph?" Asked Paige as she noticed that her sitter was now gone. What the hell did her brother do?

When they were younger he had always been incredibly overprotective of her. When one boy had pushed her, Andrew had walked up and pushed the boy into a mud puddle. Their mother had yelled at him for a few hours, but he didn't regret one thing that he did. Andrew had also succeeded in scaring away dates that he had deemed not worthy of her. It had grown tiring over the years/

"He's asleep." Andrew pointed in the direction of Ralph's bedroom. "Who's that?"

Paige had completely forgotten that Walter was still standing behind her. He was standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Paige pulled him forwards slightly, just so that he wasn't hiding behind her. He was involved, she wanted him to be involved. And it wouldn't help if she just brushed him off. Walter stumbled forwards until he was at her side. He sent her a questioning glance.

"Walter, this is my brother Andrew." Paige motioned between the two.

Andrew stood and walked closer. He walked until he was standing directly in front of Walter and Paige. He was a few inches taller than Paige, but was just about the same height as Walter.

"Knock it off." Said Paige as she stared at her brother, daring him to do anything else. Andrew's shoulders slumped and he stepped back. Sometimes she hated how overprotective he was.

Paige peeked up at Walter, as if to tell what he was thinking. He remained stoic and his face was a blank sheet. Andrew didn't know that Walter was Ralph's father. If he knew that, Paige wasn't sure what would happen then.

"I should get going." Said Walter as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. Paige nodded. She had a few things that she had to tell her brother, such as Walter being Ralph's father. And she figured that it would be best if Walter wasn't there for it. If he was it would only end in disaster and a black eye.

"I'll see you tomorrow at work." Said Paige as she shut the door behind her. She sighed and turned back to her brother.

"Sit down." Paige pointed at the couch. "I need to tell you a few things.

.

.

Paige walked into work with black smudges under her eyes the next morning. Her tiredness was radiating off of her. She ran a hand through her hair and yawned.

Andrew had kept her up far into the night. Whether lecturing her about the father of her child being her boss or considering having Ralph in his life after being alone for his whole life. It had taken a lot to convince him that she was fine and that Walter had in no way any knowledge of their son.

At three in the morning he was finally convinced and Paige was allowed the luxury to collapse onto her bed and fall into a far too short of sleep. Only after she let her brother sleep on her couch instead of a hotel.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Asked Sylvester as she walked in.

"A couple hours." She responded shaking it off. He just nodded, not sure how to reply.

Paige sat at her desk and tried to go over some old case files that had been mostly finished. It wasn't too long before she felt her eyes drooping again. What woke her up was the sound of the Garage door opening. Paige turned towards it and saw Walter entering with someone behind her.

It peaked her interest, Walter wasn't one to bring a new person as the rest of the team was already there. Paige smiled as she noticed that Walter had entered with Megan. What was she doing there?

"Hey. So, um," Walter pauses clearing his throat. "this is my sister Megan."

"Hi." She said transferring her weight to one side of her crutch and giving a small wave.

"Thought you guys were geniuses. Someone say something smart." Said Megan smiling at the group. Paige pushed back her chair and walked over. She gave Megan a light hug and ignored the stare into her back from Toby.

" Sorry, they were just playing a spirited game of "Move Sylvester's Stuff Around. Yeah so they're a little out of it." Explained Paige as she gave the three a meaningful look to introduce themselves. They quickly moved forwards at her look.

"Hello, Megan. Nice to meet you." Said Sylvester as he shook her hand with a smile on his face.

"Walter has told me so much about you."

"No, he hasn't." Retorted Megan simply. Paige smiled at the response and the depth of their relationship hit her in full force. It was almost adorable how well the two knew each other.

"No, he hasn't." Sylvester agreed letting his head slip down and walked back over to his desk.

"Hey. Dr. Tobias M. Curtis. It's a pleasure." Said Toby in an elegant voice as he shook her hand.

"Hey, I'm Happy." Happy said from her place a few feet away.

"And I'm dying, but you don't see me telling everyone." Megan said with a smile that left the rest of the team in awkward silence. Paige noticed the way Walter looked around the room to avoid looking at his sister. She stored that away for useful information in the future.

"Yes!" Yelled Toby. "Inappropriate self-deprecating humor to put others at ease. I like your approach."

"I like your hat."

"Big step for you. Bringing your sister here." Said Paige quietly as she walked up to Walter. He hummed in agreement, even though she could tell that he wasn't paying that much attention.

The phone started to ring and Walter rushed away to answer it. Paige could hear vague words of him speaking to Cabe. She didn't let it phase her and focused on the fact that Megan was there visiting the Garage for who knows how long.

Walter got off the phone and announced that they were needed immediately for a case. The rest of the team started to pack up as he walked over to her.

"Are you gonna be okay here? Because we have to go ASAP. I don't have time to take you back to the hospital." Asked Walter leaning down towards Megan was sitting.

"I'll manage." She said with a reassuring smile.

.

.

They walked back out into the Los Angeles air as the impact of the case they were about to start hit her. It was very possible they could die out there, and yet Paige knew that she had to do it. She couldn't disappoint the woman that was counting on them to return her husband's body. It would just be unright to let her down in such a way.

"Paige?" Came a quiet voice to her right. She turned and saw Walter. The rest of the team seemed to be focused on the details of the mission they were about to endure.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean there's Ralph and you don't want to risk.." Rambled Walter. A smile found its way on Paige's face as Walter continued to ramble about her and Ralph's safety.

It was an incredibly human move of him. To be considering what would happen to their son if anything was to happen to both of them.

"I'll be fine, Walter, really." She said to reassure him. He nodded and briskly walked over to the rest of the team.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Thank you so much for getting to a hundred reviews, I've never had a story get so many. And I have read every one of them and have enjoyed getting feedback. I should update a little more often as I am not stuck with school. Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing at all, at least not yet.**

 **6.26.16**


	11. Chapter 10 The Preparation of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 10: The Preparation of a Genius**

 _When you smile, you knock me out,_ _I fall apart_  
 _And I thought I was so smart_

 _-Dear Theodosia, Hamilton (Lin Manuel Miranda)_

Paige walked into the Garage and was surprised by the stillness. There was no sound, only the sound of her heels on the floor. She frowned and walked further in. She was used to the sound of Happy's tools being hit against a hard surface, the muffled sounds of Toby's music, scratches against a chalkboard from Sly's algorithms and it was always a new surprise with Walter.

"Walter?" She called, in hope of a reply. Hopefully, someone was there, preferably Walter.

"In here," came his response. She sighed in relief, it would have been awkward if she had just stood around the Garage waiting for him to show up.

Paige followed the sound of his voice into the back of the Garage where he was working on a new project. She wasn't sure what it was, yet she wasn't sure if she would still understand it, even if she asked.

"Hey," said Walter as he looked up at her. There was something with the look on his face that made her pause, yet she brushed it off as if it was nothing.

"Hi,"

"Um, I was wondering if you would want to spend Christmas morning with Ralph and I?" Asked Paige as she rocked back and forth on her heels. She knew that Ralph would enjoy it, and maybe they would be almost close enough to letting him know that he was his father. It was another step forward. One he would hopefully accept.

"I would love to," said Walter after a moment. "Do you think Ralph would like to spend Christmas Eve with Megan and I? I mean we were planning on going-"

"It's alright, Walter. Ralph would love it," Paige interrupted gently. It made her happy that Walter was willing to involve Ralph within his everyday life. And she was sure anything with Megan would be safe. Megan had been around Ralph maybe even hundreds of times and there wasn't anything to worry about them.

Walter's posture relaxed and a small smile came onto his face.

"Thanks,"

"No problem,"

Walter paused, he transferred his weight to his right side and looked at her as if deciding to continue or not.

"Do you think that, um we should uh tell Ralph soon that I am um his father?" His expression was fragile. Like everything that he knew could easily be shattered in a moment. And Paige certainly did not want to be the person to do so. Him asking her about how to tell their son about his parentage was something she was thankful for. It was better than him just hiding away these emotions.

"Yes, we'll need to figure out a time soon." Said Paige as she tapped her fingers against her thigh nervously.

"Alright, I should get back to work." He had said it almost hesitantly, there was an emotional part of him that albeit existed wondered more about his son and the rational side argued that he should just get back to work and ignore his emotions.

Walter turned back to the incredibly complicated project he was working on. Paige sighed and turned to walk out of the Garage.

.

.

"Tell mom and dad I love them, okay?" Asked Paige as she fixed her brother's collar. Andrew was heading back home to visit their parents and Paige only partially hoped that she could go along. But, she had a duty here. She was helping out with team Scorpion and Ralph was finally feeling at home.

"Will do," he said with a grin. Paige shook her head goodnaturedly. Her brother was always like this. Yet, she wouldn't expect it to be any different.

"I'll call them and set up a time for them to visit soon."

"Got it, Captain," Andrew said, his face stretching into a smile causing Paige to smile as well.

"Will you come back soon?" Asked Ralph. Paige looked down at Ralph to see a childish look on his face that seemed odd for the young genius that in many ways was older than his years.

"Yep, I'll never leave you guys." Andrew said as he bent down to Ralph's height and ruffled his hair.

"Come here," Andrew opened his arms wide and motioned for both of them to come closer. He wrapped Paige and Ralph in a hug and held on for at least a full minute.

Once they pulled back Paige stared at her brother for a moment. "I can't have you going soft on me."

He chuckled and grabbed his bags, Andrew stepped at the door and nodded as he pulled the door closed behind him.

.

.

"Ralph?" His head lifted from the thick book he was reading. Paige leaned against the doorway of her son's bedroom and crossed her arms over her chest.

He stared at her with dark curious eyes as if no matter what she was about to say it would be the most important thing to him at the moment. It almost broke her heart at how much they had connected since their joining of team Scorpion.

"Do you want to meet your father?" Her question came out in a single breath and Paige found herself short of breath as she stared at Ralph in anticipation.

"Yes, it would be interesting to meet the man that is half of my genetic make up." Ralph pauses as if thinking hard for a moment. "I think I have a few suspects too."

A light laugh escaped from Paige, Ralph's answer was the complete answer of a genius that she expected.

"I'll get back to you on it. I know he wants to let you know too."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and all. I've enjoyed reading all of the reviews. Sorry, this is a short chapter but it's kinda like a filler. And to the Guest that reviewed I love Hamilton so always expect more.**

 **Please follow, favorite and review.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, but maybe when I'm like eighty I'll own Scorpion. One can dream right?**

 **7.22.16**


	12. Chapter 11 The Holidays of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 11: The Holidays of a Genius**

 _Look around, look around at how_  
 _Lucky we are to be alive right now_

 _-The Schuyler Sisters, Hamilton_

Paige tapped her fingers nervously on her thigh as she glanced over at Walter. He was looking around the room pretending to not be nervous. They were waiting for Ralph to come out to go out to lunch with Walter and Megan.

Paige thought that it was a wonderful opportunity for them to spend time together and for her to get some last minute Christmas shopping done. And she wanted all of them to have a great time.

Ralph walked out of his room and Paige could tell there was something on his mind and whatever it was, was taking up most of his mind space.

"Ready to go," asked Walter as he stood in front of Ralph. Ralph gave him a nod and followed him out of the apartment.

Paige watched them walk down the hall. Watching father and son together brought a feeling in her she didn't know how to identify. But, whatever it was wasn't a bad feeling and she kind of hoped to have the chance to see it again.

* * *

A knock on the door tore Paige from sleep on Christmas morning. She pushed back her covers and stood up. The hardwood floor was cold on her bare feet. She ran a hand through her messy hair and crept silently through her apartment. She blinked sleepily and covered her mouth as she yawned. Who would be knocking on her door at six in the morning on Christmas?

Paige took a deep breath of air before peeking into the peep hole and then pulling open the door. Walter stood awkwardly on the other side. A short smile overcame Paige's face, reassuring herself that it was only him.

Walter was wide awake on the other side and fully dressed. There were several wrapped gifts in a bag that he was carrying. Paige ushered him inside and only then did she remembered that she was still standing there in her pajamas, a tank top and probably too short shorts. His eyes seemed to be glued to the hemline of her shorts.

"I'm going to grab a robe." Paige said as she motioned towards her bedroom door. Red faced she all but ran back to her the door was closed she leaned against it and prayed that he wouldn't say anything about it. She had grown used to never worrying about how she dressed as no one spent the night anymore, not with Ralph there.

Paige hurriedly grabbed a robe and slipped it on over her shoulders and tied it in a tight knot. Paige left her bedroom and rapped lightly on Ralph's door, most Christmas mornings he had been the one to wake her up.

She walked back out to Walter to see him awkwardly still standing where she had left him. He was glancing around the room, his meticulous eyes scanning each and every little object in the room.

"You can put the presents under the tree." said Paige as she glanced down at the bag he was carrying.

Walter kneeled down and unloaded several presents under the tree. The sound of footsteps in the hall caught Paige's attention and she glanced up at the moment a sleepy Ralph appeared. As soon as Ralph saw both Walter and the presents under the tree all traces of his tiredness vanished on the spot. He stood there bright eyed trying to soak in everything that was happening.

"Hey," Walter greeted Ralph. Ralph gave a small wave in greeting to Walter.

"Presents?" questioned Ralph, turning towards Paige. She sighed and nodded her ascent. Ralph moved quickly from the hall to right in front of the tree.

It was small actions like that that reminded Paige that her son was indeed still a child and not just a genius that knew more than he should. He stared wide eyed at the presents. Paige knew that Ralph was not accustomed to such large piles of presents. When he was younger Paige would feel proud if she had been able to buy him three.

Paige followed him back towards the living room while pulling the robe closer to her body. She motioned for Walter to come over and join her on the couch. He hesitantly walked over and sat down a reasonable distance away from her. Paige admonished the voice in her head that hoped that he would sit a little bit closer.

"Can we start?" asked Ralph with a hopeful expression on his face, and Paige nearly laughed. He always acted like an adult rather than the child that it was and it was endearing when he acted his age.

"Go for it, honey."

Ralph didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second before his fingers began to tear the wrapping off of one of the presents.

It took all of half an hour for Ralph to unwrap all of presents, while putting up with Paige's many requests to take pictures of him with the presents and rarely getting Walter to join in on the pictures, as well as Ralph getting distracted by the interesting presents that Walter supplied. Paige had no idea what most of them were, but whatever it was, Ralph loved them all the same.

It amazed her how well Walter understood Ralph. It was almost cute to watch them interact, the little mumblings between them and Paige could tell that they were practically finishing each other's sentences.

Paige quickly stood and went into the kitchen to start some coffee. She was hardly staying awake and the caffeine was just what she needed.

She was also trying to figure out when her and Walter should let Ralph know about Walter being his father, even if Paige was about ninety percent sure that Ralph already knew who his father was.

Paige grabbed a mug from the top shelf in the cabinet and gratefully poured the coffee into the mug. She almost drank it black but decided against it at the last second. After she finished stirring in what she considered necessary for a good cup of coffee she heard the floorboards creaking. She looked up to see Walter walking in.

"Coffee?" She offered. Walter nodded and walked closer so he was leaning against the counter as she reached for another mug. She poured coffee into it and looked back up as if to ask if he wanted anything in it. He just shook his head and Paige handed him the cup.

Paige had always found silence odd. She wanted to come out and ask him about telling Ralph. But, her rational mind argued that she should wait until she could fully form a coherent sentence on what she wanted to say. As with her luck she would just start babbling words that might possibly make sense.

"Do you want to tell Ralph?" She blurted out.

Walter's dark brown eyes shot up to her face at the sudden question. Her voice broke the stillness in the room. They could both hear Ralph moving around in the living room, probably still inspecting his presents.

"I-I uh I guess we should." stuttered Walter, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his thigh at her question. Paige nodded and could feel her heart rate accelerate. It was a moment of truth, even though Paige knew that Ralph had his suspicions.

"Now?" Her nerves made her voice give a slight stutter. Walter nodded and she could see the flashes of apprehension in his eyes.

They could do this. They just had to do it together. Paige set down her mug on the counter with a small click as it hit the surface. Walter followed her lead and glanced back at her. She started walking towards the living room where she could still hear Ralph using his new Christmas presents. Walter and Paige walked side by side towards Ralph and she prayed that telling him would go over well.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites! It all means so much to me!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **8.25.16**


	13. Chapter 12 The Danger of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 13: The Danger of a Genius**

 _With the chance I've been given,_

 _I'm gonna be driven as hell_

 _-Chip on my Shoulder, Legally Blonde the Musical_

"Walter, you have a plan yet?" yelled Paige as she watched the gunfire hit almost randomly around the team. Fear had nearly paralyzed her into place and she didn't want to think what would happen to her if any of the geniuses couldn't think of any way to save their lives.

"Just don't move; let me think." Walter said as his eyes scanned everything around bit her lip nervously as she prayed that a solution would be found to get them all out.

"Okay." Paige said nervously, her voice shaking slightly.

Paige's eyes were glued to a ladder as it began falling, which ultimately led to the attention of the machine guns. The ladder hit a switch turning on a fan and led to bullets ricocheting off of the fan and hitting anything nearby. But overall it was aimed in Paige's general direction. And to say she was scared was an understatement.

"Paige!" Walter yelled as he saw the bullets hitting the drums that she used for cover.

"The fan's movement is drawing fire." Cabe shouted over the sound of the machine guns.

"Oh, God! The fan's movement's drawing fire!" Toby yelled.

"Happy" Walter called. "How long can those drums provide protection?"

"That steel's rusting thin. One minute, tops." Happy responded as her eyes scanned the surroundings for any solution.

"Cabe, can you take out the gun that covers our half of the barn?" asked Walter, as his mind was going a mile a minute.

"Shoot-out with a robot gun?" Cabe said incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"It's rotating on a gate hinge. Aim for the lag screw." Happy added.

"She'll be riddled with bullets in a few seconds!"

"Paige, on three, you get up and you run in a straight line to me, okay?" Walter said barely over the gunfire. Paige's panicked eyes met his and she tried to find any trace of hesitance on his face.

"No, I'm scared." Paige said, her voice shaking. She chewed on her lip as if it would lighten any of her anxiety. It was a terrifying thought to run out where the bullets were hitting everywhere around them with tremendous speed. A persistent thought at the back of her head reminded her that if she were to stay where she was it would result with her death. Never being able to see her son again, was a thought that she couldn't tolerate.

"One two, three." Counted Walter and Paige pushed herself off of the floor and ran towards him. Her heartbeat pulsed with adrenaline in her ears as she tried to ignore the sound of gunfire behind her. With a final burst of energy she pushed herself into Walter's general direction because she knew that without a doubt that he would be able to help her from any threat.

"Ow." groaned Walter as Paige fell on top of him. In an odd way it felt vaguely familiar. Paige didn't want to think about why, she just wanted her thoughts to calm for a moment and be proud that she was still alive.

"Am I all right?" asked Paige breathlessly as she tried to catch her breath.

"Well, you are." Walter said from underneath her. "I'm not."

* * *

"How was he?" asked Paige as she walked up to the loft where Ralph lay asleep on Walter's bed. Walter was at his table tinkering around with something. He had been willing to watch Ralph while she had to take her European history final.

"He was fine." Walter said as he glanced up at Paige. "How was uh your test?"

"I think I did pretty well." Paige said with a smile tugging at her lips. The sight of her son curled up on Walter's bed reminded her of one of the things she had wanted to talk to Walter about.

"Walter, could I talk to you for a moment."

"Yeah." Walter said as he got up and led her over to the couch. He uneasily sat down, slightly on edge at her cryptic words. Paige followed and sat down beside her.

"What is this about?"

"Today when you let the snake bite you it was just I was worried about the risks you were taking-"

"The risks were calculated and I knew what I was doing." Walter interrupted as if that completely justified his actions.

"Even if they were calculated there is always something that could go wrong." Argued Paige and before she could continue Walter broke in.

"I knew that nothing would go wrong."

"You have to think about Ralph. Now that he has his father, I don't want to risk you suddenly going off and dying. He doesn't need that and if you plan on dying than just tell me now so I know not to waste our time." Paige said passionately as she glanced at her sleeping son.

"I-I didn't think of it that way." Walter said as he looked down at the ground, as it seemed as if worry had been rolling off of Paige in waves.

"You should have you have him to think of now." Walter glanced up to see a soft look on Paige's face. "You're not alone."

Unconsciously Walter glanced down at Paige's lips and couldn't help the sudden desire to know what they tasted like. And for the single second that he looked up to Paige's face he caught her staring at him.

Whatever moment that had passed between them had passed with a finality. Walter cleared his throat and looked anywhere in the room except for Paige to avoid some of his embarrassment.

"I should get going." Paige said while standing.

"You could stay here, I mean Ralph is already here and it's getting late. It would be more efficient to just stay here and-" Walter started to ramble.

"I guess we can." Paige said giving into the little nagging voice in the back of her head.

"You can borrow some of my clothes and you and Ralph can have my bed." He said standing, ready to move and get everything.

"I can't take all of that from you. I can just sleep on the couch."

"I'm offering and the couch is pretty comfortable." It was a complete and utter lie, but he told himself that he wanted to get to know his son a little better and not that he just wanted them close to him.

"Ok, I guess." Paige conceded.

 **A/N: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. It's going to be a little harder to post more chapters as I started college recently and that has kept me busy. So keep your fingers crossed.**

 **Disclaimer: Surprise! I still own none of this.**

 **10.8.16**


	14. Chapter 13 The Makings of a Genius

**The Son of a Genius**

 **Chapter 13: The Makings of a Genius**

 _Love heals when pain's too much to bear_  
 _When you reach out your hand_  
 _And only wind is there_  
 _When life's unfair when things like us are not to be  
-Love Heals, RENT_

Paige woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee in the air. And she felt like she had gotten a full night of sleep for the first time in years. She blearily opened her eyes to recognize Walter's bedroom. Her eyes widened and she sat right up. Her mind raced as she tried to remember what had happened the night before. With a sigh of relief she recalled Walter's offer of her and Ralph being able to stay over.

She didn't want to think what would have happened if anything not so innocent had happened the night before. It would have wrecked everything, the dynamic of the team, the relationship between Walter and Ralph and even whatever was going on between her and Walter. It didn't seem like much was going on between them but whenever they touched she could feel a tingling up her arm and it seemed that occasionally she would catch him staring when she wasn't looking.

Paige pushed the blankets off of her and winced as her bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor of the loft. She was dressed in one of Walter's oversized shirts and an old pair of his sweatpants that he generously let her borrow.

Ralph was bundled up on the other side of the bed. He had pulled most of the blankets to himself and wrapped them around himself. Paige smiled and leaned over running a hand through the hair that was hanging in Ralph's eyes.

Wrapping her arms around herself she ventured out of the the loft and downstairs, following the smell of bacon and coffee. Paige peeked around the corner of the kitchen to see Walter standing at the stove and making breakfast.

She walked into the kitchen slowly and Walter suddenly turned around to face her. His stance relaxed a little at the sight of her. Paige couldn't help the little bit of her that wouldn't mind seeing him like this more often.

"Hey," Walter said.

"Good morning." Paige responded and walked closer to see what he was making. Bacon was sizzling, he was preparing to flip a pancake and when she saw the coffee she immediately reached for a mug. She grabbed one out of the cabinet and took her time pouring the coffee into it.

"Morning." Walter said as he managed to flip a pancake. He smiled at the small accomplishment.

Paige sipped at her coffee and watched as he finished making breakfast. As she watched him she couldn't help the light fluttering of her heart as she watched him. She noted the way the light filtered through the windows and reflected onto his face.

"I'll get Ralph." Paige offered and went back up to the loft.

When she walked back into the loft and over to Walter's bedroom, Ralph was still wrapped up in the blankets.

"Ralph," She called softly and walked over to his side.

His large brown eyes popped open and stared at her.

"Walter is making breakfast downstairs." Before she could continue he flew out of bed and headed towards the door of the loft. Paige chuckled under her breath and slowly followed him out.

When she got back to the kitchen Ralph was already seated and staring at the food Walter had made. After a second of staring he dug into the food.

"Thanks, dad." Ralph said with his mouth full of food.

Paige froze and she glanced at Walter. He looked as if he was paralyzed. Walter's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as he tried to process the meaning of Ralph's words. Like it wasn't possible that he had actually said it.

"Uh, you're welcome." Walter said even though it looked as if he still had no idea what to say to him.

Paige could hear the beating of her heart pounding in her ears. Ralph hadn't brought up anything about calling Walter his father no matter how long he had known. Yet, it was one of the sweetest things that she had ever heard.

.

.

"She's a risk you need to take." Cabe's words echoed in Walter's head as he walked up to the door of Paige's apartment. He took in a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Paige set aside the paperwork she was trying to finish up before putting Ralph to bed. She walked over to the door and pulled it open. Her eyes widened at the sight of Walter standing on the other side. He was rubbing the back of his neck; it was a nervous tick that she had recognized over the time of working with him.

"Come on in." Paige offered as she stood to the side. Walter hesitantly walked in as Paige closed the door behind him. She watched as he looked around the room; it was like he was trying to find something to focus on besides whatever reason he was actually there for.

"Not to be rude or anything," Paige said interrupting whatever he was thinking. "But why are you here?"

"I-I um after the case Cabe had said some um stuff to me that made me think about uh us. And how this will affect Ralph having parents that are not together-" Walter rambled.

Paige could feel her eyes widen as she listened to him. She didn't know exactly where he was going, but she an idea. And whatever it was she didn't want it to be block by rambling.

"Walter," he kept speaking, "Walter!"

He immediately stopped talking and shut his mouth.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Doyouwanttogooutsometimejustyouandme?" Walter said in a rush. Paige's eyes widened as she tried to process what he was saying.

"Could you say that a little slower?" Paige asked as she unconsciously leaned closer to him.

"Do you want to go out sometime, just you and me? Not that there's anything against Ralph but I want to try it just us." Walter said, his voice getting quieter the farther into the sentence he went.

Walter's eyes were large and hopeful as he stared at her waiting for a reaction.

"Like a date?" Paige asked, as her eyes looked over his face with a hope of telling exactly what he was thinking.

"Um, yes?" the way he stated it it was more of a question than an answer.

"I would love to." Paige said, a smile spreading on her face. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Maybe this Friday?" Walter asked as soon as he gained his wits, his mind still trying to comprehend the fact that she had willingly kissed his cheek.

"That would be perfect."

 **A/N: look who's back! I know I haven't updated since October but when you're sixteen and taking all college classes it is sorta hard to find time to write that and writers block is a bitch. Thank you for all of the positive feedback that I've gotten since I last updated (and I've read all of them). Feel free to follow, favorite and review, and anyone can send any ideas they have for this.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing and probably never will.**

 **2.3.17**


End file.
